Coming to Terms
by amwong88
Summary: [COMPLETE] Admitting something to yourself can change who you are. Would you be willing to do so if the alternative was losing the part that made you whole? NejiIno.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me

Ok, finally got this thing posted after many long weeks of working on it. Got hooked on the idea for this story after watching 'Love Generation' for the tenth time so here it is. Hope you enjoy it!

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**Coming to Terms**

Chapter One

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Pale blonde hair fluttered in the wind, the moonlight dancing off in a gleaming, gleeful halo. Eyes the colour of the afternoon sky twinkled mischievously in the darkness, their owner stealthily creeping forwards towards the solitary figure by the lake from underneath the shadowed security of the forest.

The girl braced herself to pounce when…

"I know you're there, Yamanaka."

"Hmph."

Pouting, Ino stepped out on to the pebbled shoreside, the sound of her sandals crunching over the rocks breaking the peace of the night.

"You could have said something, Neji. Oh wait, I forgot. You like surprising people with your incredible prodigy powers."

The Hyuuga didn't even bother turning to glance at the girl stopping a few feet away from him. His face remained tilted towards the stars, the self-same moonlight appearing to be absorbed by the midnight of his bound hair.

They had just finished up their mission and were heading back to Konoha. Kiba and Akamaru had turned in for the night, the pair of them snoring away in the tent that Ino had gratefully escaped in search of a moment of quiet. They had all grown up somewhat, all of them chuunin with the exception of Shikamaru and Neji, both of whom had sped up the ranks at an almost alarming pace. The village was enjoying peace at the moment, a welcome respite that was nevertheless disarming in its uncertainty.

"Did you want something, Yamanaka? Or did you just come out here to annoy me?"

"Got it right in one shot. Guess you are good for something."

Ino shot him a brilliant grin, the wheels whirling constantly in her head as she mimicked his motionless pose. Only after having worked together on a number of missions had the kunoichi garnered a sort of familiarity with the famed Jounin.

His expression was as implacable as always but the relaxed set of his jaw and lack of tension in his shoulders signaled his ease in the situation. The Hyuuga was always so tightly coiled, so tensely alert that Ino had taken it upon herself to knock him down a few pegs whenever she got the chance.

It always amazed her that he hadn't killed her yet.

"Hey, Neji."

A marginally lifted eyebrow was all the response she got.

"Kiba was just saying that he…look out!"

Leaping forwards abruptly, the girl crashed into the startled figure in front of her, her fingers moving swiftly and nimbly before she bounced back up and left the Hyuuga prone on the ground.

Artfully shielding one hand behind her back, Ino laughed sheepishly as the boy picked himself up slowly, sending her one of his patented disapproving glares.

"Whoops, sorry. My mistake. Must have been a firefly or something."

"Go awa…"

His irritated order listed off as the boy suddenly registered the dark strands of hair falling loosely in his eyes. The darkened curves of the curse scar shone clearly on his pale skin. Ino had only ever seen it once before, all those years ago at the first chuunin exam when he had removed his hiatae in front of Naruto and the rest of Konoha.

The hiatae that was currently dangling in her left hand.

"You really shouldn't keep it covered up all the time, Neji. You're going to…"

"_Byakugan_."

Ino's mouth snapped shut at the blast of angry chakra that hit her. Forcing herself to stay steady against the sudden urge to move back, she met a pair of icy pale eyes head on.

_Crap._

The Hyuuga took a single step forwards, his hands flexing by his side as if he was visibly restraining himself from wrapping them around her throat.

"Give it back."

"I…it was just a joke, Neji!"

Another step.

"I said, give it back."

Ino swallowed nervously. Alright, maybe she had gone a bit too far this time. But really, it wasn't something he should be ashamed of. That was all she was trying to show him. And it certainly didn't give him the right to intimidate her like this.

"No."

_Argh, you're so stupid, Yamanaka Ino! Why can't you keep your big mouth shut!_

Unsurprisingly, the wave of hot chakra beating down on her grew even more. She could practically see him vibrating with anger, the colour drained out of his face until the raised veins around his eyes were almost pulsing.

"Fine."

In a flash, Ino found herself slamming into the ground in a painful heap, her body screaming in protest as various rocks and other protrusions dug into her flesh. Gasping at the ache in her shoulder where he had hit her, she blinked uncomprehendingly at the sight of the Hyuuga swiftly retying the headcloth in place.

"Damnit, Neji! What the hell was that for?"

Wincing slightly, she got to her feet, brushing off the debris hanging to her clothes. The colour rose in her cheeks as she snarled at him, indignation at his rough treatment clouding her better judgment to just apologize and run away as quickly as possible.

In three angry strides, Ino was in front of him, a slim finger jabbing fiercely in his chest.

"Just what did you do that for? Attacking your own teammate! You'll be lucky if I don't report this to the Godaime!"

Neji stared down impassively at her, his sudden burst of temper apparently abated enough for him to release the Byakugan.

"Stealing is also not permitted."

"I wasn't stealing! It was just a joke! Ever hear of a joke, Hyuuga? Of course not, you don't have a sense of humor!"

A large hand clamped down on her wrist, preventing her from continuing to poke at him.

"It wasn't a joke to me."

The harsh tones of his voice somehow registered through the blazing red haze in Ino's mind and she paused, taking in the beautifully sculpted face above her.

She could not read it, of course. Even his old teammates could not read him after all this time. But behind the coldness, behind the annoyance, Ino thought she could see something.

Maybe it came from all those years of having to deal with Shikamaru's similarly expressionless appearance. Maybe it came from her family ability to reach into other's minds and manipulate their thoughts and bodies into obedience.

Whatever it was, Ino thought she glimpsed something through a chink in the impenetrable Hyuuga armor.

Weariness.

Frowning slightly, Ino moved back, her hand dropping slowly as he released her. She stared up at him silently for a moment, her eyes narrowed in thought as he stood motionlessly.

"I'm sorry."

If he was surprised by her quiet capitulation, he didn't show it. Neji nodded stiffly before turning as if to make his way back to camp.

"Wait!"

Her request was accompanied by a hand on his arm. He looked pointedly down at it before raising his eyes to hers. Ino ignored his implied request to stop invading his personal space. She had always been a rather affectionate person and if this was going to work, then he had best get used to it.

_If what is going to work? Do I even know what I'm offering?_

"Yes?"

"…I understand."

It sounded strange, even to her ears.

Neji turned back fully to face her, his mouth thinning as he took in her solemn words.

"What do you understand?"

She let go just then, her hand raising absently to tuck some loose strands behind her ear. She did know, knew what she was offering and knew that he knew it too.

"How it feels. To be always searching."

Her voice was soft as she fixed her eyes on the calm surface of the water. Ino could feel his gaze on her, penetrating and sharp before he finally followed her example and focused on the horizon.

For once, it appeared as though she had said the right thing. The silence between them was comfortable, if a little awkward. And even though he was not standing close enough for it to be called familiar, Ino imagined she could feel the warmth radiating off him.

"Hn."

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**A/N: Neji is fascinating to me...there's something about lost souls that are crying out for an anchor that just grips me to the core. **

**Next update coming in a week or two. Super busy right now but please do review and let me know how you feel. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me

WHOHOO finished this chapter on time even though my other reviewers are lambasting (very nicely luckily) me about updating my other fic. Ah well...I can only promise to try my best, eh?

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Chapter 2

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"So that was how you guys became friends? Just like that?"

Sakura's incredulous voice bounced around the small dango shop. Both Ino and Tenten grimaced as Hinata shot her a small smile.

"No, not just like that. I'm still working on it. And would you stop shouting? It's not like you really need to draw anymore attention to that huge forehead of yours."

"Shut up, Ino-pig!"

Sticking out her tongue teasingly, the other girl tossed her head, the trademark bubblegum hair falling in a bright cloud around her. Sakura had gained a notable amount of self-confidence over the years, her innate expertise at chakra control serving her well under the tutelage of the Godaime.

The four kunoichi were ensconced around a creaky, wooden table in the relatively empty shop. It was a balmy afternoon and many of the villagers were taking it easy. Surrounded by the sweet aroma of hot tea and the guilty pleasure of sneaking off from training, the girls took the opportunity to pour over the latest news.

"Well, whatever it is you're working on, it seems to be doing the trick. You've managed something Lee and I haven't even after all these years. I've never seen Neji this way around anyone."

Ino glanced over at Tenten in surprise. They had become more familiar over the past few months as Ino spent more time with the Hyuuga and the older girl was proving to have a rather refreshingly caustic wit.

"What do you mean? He's pretty much the same as he's always been. The whole ice-prince routine, you know? I mean, it's considered a good day if he even bothers to talk to me."

"You just don't see what we see."

The girl popped another dumpling in her mouth, innocently chewing away as Ino frowned.

"I think Neji's bad habits are rubbing off on you, Tenten. Talking in riddles and acting superior isn't exactly a good thing."

"I think what…what Tenten-chan means is Neji nii-san is…happier. Happier than before."

Hinata took a hurried sip, not quite having overcome the girlish tendency to stumble over her words when she was trying to express something important. Both Sakura and Ino smiled encouragingly at her.

"I agree with Hinata-chan there. I don't know Neji-kun that well but even I can see that he considers you special."

"Yeah, yeah. And you can stop winking at me, Sakura. It's not like that and you know it."

Waving a pale hand dismissively in the air, Ino swirled her tea around, watching as the deep green grounds rose and settled again in concentric circles at the bottom of the cup. They were right really. After that night by the lake, Hyuuga Neji had been more open, more receptive to her tentative advances of friendship than she would have expected.

When they had arrived back at camp to be greeted by Kiba's incessant snoring, Neji had wordlessly taken up the agreed-upon position as guard. Ino had fidgeted around for a bit on the ground, the chilly night air creeping under the thin blanket as the dying embers of the campfire struggled futilely to produce heat. If she hadn't felt bad about the idea of kicking a dog out to sleep in the cold, she'd be the one curled up inside their sole tent right now, rather than the boy who impersonated a volcano.

It had taken her by surprise when she felt another blanket being tossed over her. Fingering the woven material, Ino had glanced over to see his tall figure crouched over the fire, stoking the flames back to life.

"Go to sleep; we're leaving first thing in the morning."

Smiling at his gruff response to her unvoiced query, the girl had murmured her soft thanks before snuggling gratefully under the extra warmth. The trip home had passed swiftly and without incident, neither of them mentioning the events of the night before but having come to a sort of understanding that was tangible nevertheless.

At first, Ino had been unsure of how to go about this new development. Other than having been under his leadership on missions over the past years, she really had not interacted with him outside of their duties.

She had started off by purposefully going to one of the training areas in the forest that the Hyuuga was known to frequent whenever he was not training at the Hyuuga complex. Fortunately, or unfortunately, he had been there that day, barely out of breath even though the splintered trunks and stirred up dirt were hard evidence of hours of non-stop practice.

The girl had waved to him cheerfully, commenting on his attacks while joking half-heartedly about how Asuma-sensei was too busy with his newest mission to train his old genin group. Neji had watched her for a long moment, devoid of expression, before briskly asking if this was her way of asking him to train her.

It hadn't, but Ino had simply shrugged, pleased with the sudden opening. He had smirked then, nodding once while ordering her to demonstrate some basic taijutsu moves.

Ino quickly learned that he was a strict teacher, something Tenten had ruefully agreed with when she discovered the pair of them during one of their training sessions. Strict was actually an understatement. Neji thought nothing of training from morning till evening, only relenting enough to take short breaks when Ino literally collapsed in a boneless, complaining heap.

Over time, she had learnt to bring her lunch with her, packing enough to feed both of them since the Hyuuga seldom bothered to rest long enough to eat. She had nagged at him to try her cooking, graciously choosing to ignore the way he warily eyed a misshapen riceball or a suspiciously blackened lump of meat.

Again, he had surprised her by obliging, washing down whatever she had managed to throw together that morning with healthy swigs of tea. Ino had flushed in pleasure the first time he thanked her for the food. She had been so used to Sasuke-kun turning his nose up at her gifts that she almost did not know how to respond.

After that, she put more effort into preparing things he liked, blatantly prodding him for information about himself whenever they had the chance to just sit there and take a break. Neji had not exactly been forthcoming about discussing himself, seemingly content to allow her to prattle on while only issuing the occasional grunt or short comment.

But Ino was more than used to dealing with the stoic type, having had years of practice with Shika. She had yelled at him to answer her questions, and when the older shinobi hadn't taken to that well, had resorted to teasing and playful insulting.

When Neji discovered that his usual glares couldn't bow her into submission, he had complied. Grudgingly at first, but gradually relaxing enough to converse easily with her. She discovered that he liked his tea burning hot rather than warm, his vegetables pickled rather than cooked. He had a fondness for staring at the stars, often creeping out at night to lie on the roof of the Branch family complex for hours on end.

Once, during after a drawn-out and exhausting spar, he had muttered something about how much he actually admired Lee's dedication, even though his old teammate's penchant for shimmying around in indecently skintight bodysuits still gave him nightmares.

Ino had teased him mercilessly after that particularly revelation, musing aloud about how his fan girls would probably run away screaming or rip their eyes out in horror if they ever saw Hyuuga Neji in such a get up. He had visibly shuddered at the mere thought, opaque eyes crinkling just the slightest when she burst out laughing, the carefree sound sweeping over both of them and carrying across the windswept clearing.

This began their sudden contest to develop ways to scare the ever-present, and growing, group of simpering girls away. Neji had learnt a long time ago that scowling and glaring did nothing more than elicit more dreamy sighs of 'oh-he's-so-angsty-I-could-just-die.' Nowadays, he rarely did anything more than just pretend that they didn't exist, which was pretty much how he treated everyone else really.

Ino was more proactive though, gleefully plotting up schemes such as declaring to the entire village that he was gay and all the girls should just give up. Or announcing that the curse seal had the rare and unfortunate side effect of making him impotent.

Obviously, Neji was less than enthusiastic about her crackpot ideas, least of all the one where he actually _did_ dress up like Gai and cut off his hair to stick on to his eyebrows. Ino had laughed herself sick as she droned on and on about the various ways they could explore in order to get his teeth that eye-gouging white or how they could improve upon that spandex monstrosity so that he could go to the bathroom without having to peel the entire thing off.

They trained for six straight hours that night. Revenge is sweet indeed.

In the end, it turned out that a rather unexpected method was the most effective one. Ino had simply hooked her arm through his one day as they were strolling down the village street, unabashedly dragging him off to point out one of the newest kunai pouches she wanted to buy.

The boy had stiffened, persistently trying to tug his arm free but had stopped when a high-pitched wail had the two of them whipping around. Several girls were clutching at each other in almost comical despair, alternatively glaring daggers at the blonde while turning pleading puppy eyes on the Hyuuga.

White had met blue for a split second before matching smirks appeared on both their faces. Nonchalantly pretending to peer through the shop window, he allowed the kunoichi to snuggle blatantly against his arm, a wicked Cheshire-grin spreading across her face. That was enough to send the girls off sobbing and it was the first time Ino had ever heard Neji laugh.

The next day, she found a small package being thrust into her hands during lunch. It was the kunai pouch she had shown him the day before.

Yes, things were going well and Ino was pleasantly surprised to find that the Hyuuga could be very good company, despite his well-founded reputation for being cold and sarcastic. In fact, she found that he was slowly but inexorably becoming the one person she spent the most time with, the person she proudly showed off to whenever she mastered another ninjutsu and the person she saw off whenever he had to leave for a mission.

But at the same time, her earlier remark was also correct. She _was_ still working at it and working hard at that. Some days were better than others, days when they could talk about anything or just spend time together in companionable silence.

Those were the days when Ino thought it was all worth it, worth all the grueling hours of training his company inevitably included, worth all the extra effort she put in to make the corners of his lips curve upwards however briefly.

But other days were tough.

Those were the times when he would ignore her cheerful chattering and freeze her into a spluttering halt with an icy glare or curt command that he was busy. The Hyuuga would be sullen or moody, preferring to take out his stress on a training post or some other hapless Jounin who was unlucky enough to be his sparring partner that day.

On those days, Ino felt as though she were invisible. As if she were nothing more to him than an occasional amusement that he could easily toss aside when more important things came up. It was unbearable, intolerable.

And it was those days that made her question what exactly she had gotten herself into.

"Ino-chan?"

"Huh?"

She jerked her head up off where it had been resting on her propped up hand. The other girls were staring at her expectantly, obviously waiting for an answer of some sort.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming. What did you ask me?"

Sakura sniggered, leaning forward to whisper dramatically in a loud stage voice.

"Daydreaming about a certain white-eyed prodigy maybe?"

"No, I was actually remembering how it felt when a certain loud-mouthed blond kissed me goodnight yesterday."

Ino had the pleasure of seeing Sakura's eyes widen in shock before the realization that she was obviously joking set in. Her oldest friend and Naruto had been together for a while now and Sakura was well-known for her jealous temper.

"You really have to share with us how it feels to kiss a mirror then, Ino-_chan_."

All of them burst out laughing, Ino good-humouredly joining in. Shooting Hinata a quick glance, she was pleased to see that the girl seemed to be doing alright. The friendship between Hinata and Sakura had been awkward for a while when the couple first started going out but, over time, it seemed as though Hinata had gotten over it.

Thanks in part to a brash yet adoring Kiba, whom everyone kept pushing to just tell her but was too stubbornly shy to do so yet.

"We were wondering what you were doing tonight, Ino. The rest of us were thinking of just hanging out at my place doing nothing."

"Thanks but I've got to run. I probably going to late as it is and Neji'll probably think that warrants another extra hour of training."

"Actually, you're right."

Groaning, Ino slumped on to the table as the deep, familiar voice sounded from behind her. Sakura kicked her from underneath the table but she could not be bothered to do anything but kick back.

"Neji nii-san."

"Hinata-sama. Tenten. Haruno."

A chorus of greetings met his and Ino wearily lifted a single hand in response, merely burying her head further into her folded arms.

"Ugh, Neji. Give it a rest for once, okay? I thought we were just going to take it easy tonight."

Someone brushed her hair back, calloused fingers fleeting against the curve of her ear in an unconscious caress that sent unexpected shivers down her neck. Stiffening, she straightened immediately to glare into a pair of collected white eyes.

"You were getting your hair in your tea. And the answer is no."

"I swear, Neji, one of these days that stick up your ass is going to…ack!"

Another swift kick had Ino biting her tongue. Eyes watering, she turned that glare on to the girl across from her, sea-green eyes fluttering innocently. Everyone was watching the two of them amusedly, Hinata biting her lip to try and keep from smiling.

"You are so dead, Forehead-girl!"

Ino's lunge over the table was stopped by a firm hand clasped on to her elbow. Pulling her none too gently out of her seat, Neji nodded a curt goodbye over his shoulder before dragging them both outside the shop.

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**A/N: Neji Neji Neji. I'm still not sure how angsty slash complex I want him to be in this story so I'll just muddle along chapter by chapter. Lots of things happening in my life lately, much of the mess of my own making unfortunately, so forgive me if my writing ends up a bit more melodramatic than usual!**

**Next update coming next Saturday. Thanks for reading and please do review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me

Ahhh, I've been watching _Yakitate! Japan _lately and it's FANTASTIC! Been going through so much bread in real life while watching it that, when combined with all the time I spend sitting in front of the computer, sitting front of the TV, sitting in front of my desk studying...I'm sooo going to gain like 20 pounds by the end of the school year. AND IT'LL BE WORTH IT!

lol...I take that back.

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Chapter 3

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Squinting under the glare of the late afternoon sun, Ino yanked her arm away, scowling at the broad back of the boy striding ahead in front of her.

"Dammit, Neji! What was that for?"

He made no response, seemingly uncaring about whether or not she was following after him as he made his way through the village and towards the forest. Villagers scurried out of the way, well aware that it was a bad idea to annoy this particular Hyuuga. A young boy stopped dead in his tracks as the two of them passed by, his mouth dropping open as he eagerly pointed out the Jounin to his companions.

Ino caught up to him, resisting the urge to just stomp off in the opposite direction.

"Hey! Stop ignoring me, Hyuuga! I was talking to my friends; don't you know that it's rude to just pull me away like that?"

"It's rude to talk the way you did."

Blinking in confusion, the girl frowned. She found herself picking up the pace, evidence that he was speeding up as if in a hurry to get away from here.

From her.

"What do you mean, the way I talked? I didn't say anything bad. And would you slow down? What, is there a fire or something?"

By this time, they were climbing the hill overlooking the village and leading up to the clearing where they usually did their training. She grimaced as the dirt squished muddily under her feet. It had been raining constantly over the past week, the air uncomfortably heavy despite the heat.

Ino paused under the shadow of a tree as the Hyuuga adopted his meditative pose, slipping into a state of intense concentration before beginning a series of low-level chakra control techniques. Sighing as he completely ignored her, she perched on a fallen branch nearby.

Apparently this was going to be one of the bad days.

"Did you just bring me here to watch you? I have better things to do, you know."

"Leave then."

He did not even bother to look over at her as he streamlined flawlessly into practicing one of his attacks. The chakra crackled tangibly around him as limbs flew in a flurry of motion. As always, it was as graceful as it was powerful.

Ino's hands fisted in anger. Why did he even bother coming to find her when all he intended to do was ignore her! There was no way she was going to play the role of a simpering fan-girl used to satisfy an insufferable ego again.

Jumping to her feet, she hurled a kunai at him, deliberately aiming for his groin. Unsurprisingly, Neji deflected it easily, barely breaking out of his routine.

"What's your problem anyways? You seemed okay before. If being around me pisses you off so much, then just stop training with me! Nobody forced you to in the first place!"

"Fine."

Leaves rained down around him as a chakra-loaded palm slammed into a tree. Each falling leaf was sliced neatly in half as the Hyuuga manipulated the threads of blue energy streaming out of various chakra points on his body. There were dark circles under his eyes, stark against the pale skin. The grim set of his jaw merely accented the general air of over-coiled tension.

He looked awful. Or at least, awful for Hyuuga Neji.

Ino stood motionless, unflinching when several destroyed leaves flew into her face. Her mind whirled back to her musings just a while ago.

_Maybe it isn't worth it._

"Fine."

And with that, she turned on her heel and walked away from him.

**-o-O-o-**

"Ino-chan!"

She looked up to see the blond waving enthusiastically from his stool at Ichiraku, pieces of ramen still dangling from his mouth as he swiveled around to face her. Naruto slurped up the noodles, gesturing for her to come over. Shikamaru nodded lazily at her, yawning openly as she sat down next to him.

"Hey, guys. What are you doing here?"

Her old friend slanted her a sideways glance at the forced cheerfulness in her voice. He knew her as well as the sky he spent so much time staring up at, perhaps even better than she knew herself. Waving off her thanks as he ordered her a tonkatsu ramen, her favourite, Shikamaru tapped his cup as the boy on his left chattered away loudly.

"We just got back this morning from a mission! Obaa-chan sent us all the way to Wind this time; got it done of course but man, am I glad to be back again! Can you believe that they actually don't have ramen there? Only some other sort of noodles that doesn't taste the same but Shikamaru here keeps saying is their specialty or something…"

"Somen, baka."

"Right, right. Sounds kind of the same but doesn't taste anything like Onee-chan's here!"

The young female cook smiled as the boy stopped momentarily to suck down the rest of his soup. Happily attacking a fresh bowl, Naruto continued his commentary.

"Yeah well, we escorted the ambassador back with no problems…besides a couple of attackers along the way but they were no big deal. I wanted to come back here right away but Neji wouldn't let us. Something about it being respectful to pay our wishes as representatives of another country when there's a funeral."

"Oh, right. Neji was with you guys too."

"Yeah."

Ino could feel Shikamaru's speculative gaze on her as she poked despondently at a piece of pork. The wonderfully fragrant aroma wafted up enticingly but she wasn't really hungry.

"He's back, you know."

"I know."

The two friends spoke quietly as Naruto continued to drone on about his latest exploits in the background. He waited for her to open up to him, patient and solid as he gave her the strength and courage to do so merely by being there next to her. She missed this; Shikamaru had become Konoha's head tactical strategist and was often called away to discuss political issues in addition to his regular duties as a shinobi.

Ino sighed.

"Ne, Shikamaru…"

"Huh?"

"How come you would sometimes ignore me when we were younger? Am I really that annoying?"

A dark eyebrow lifted as assessing eyes took in the way she was slumped in her seat. The Ino he knew was vibrant and strong, the very personification of the village they devoted their lives to protect. It was unsettling to see her this way.

"Sometimes."

Shikamaru braced himself for the expected whack but was surprised when it never came. This was more serious than he had thought.

"But not always. What's going on, Ino?"

"Just wondering."

Placing some noodles obediently in her mouth as the owner gave her untouched bowl a slightly hurt look, Ino nearly choked when a brisk tap on the head almost sent her pitching face-first into her food.

"Shikamaru!"

Shrugging, the boy in question smirked at her enraged expression.

"Good, you've stopped sulking. Now start talking."

Muttering something unflattering about good-for-nothing lazy bums who had the temerity to turn bossy, Ino huffed.

"Geez. You're just like Neji, you know. These mood swings are a pain in the ass."

"Ah, so this is about Neji, is it?"

Lucky for him, Ino chose not to pay any attention to the knowing chuckle he sent her as he easily pieced it all together. A tanned, cheeky face popped up over his shoulder, having been interrupted in his monologue by her yell.

"What's about Neji? Is he feeling better now?"

The odd question gave her pause.

"What do you mean 'is he feeling better'? Did he get injured? I thought you said the mission went smoothly."

"Yeah, it was easy. It was the funeral at the end."

Naruto's expression grew serious, his playful demeanor disappearing and leaving him looking older. The boy had grown up a lot in the past few years, maturing in both abilities and attitude ever since Uchiha Sasuke's deflection and ultimate death. They had grown used to his disturbing tendency to slip in and out between his former persona and this new Naruto who acted and looked as though he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. In that respect, Sakura was good for him, more often than not the only one able to break him out of his moods.

Ino's chopsticks hovered in mid-air, forgotten in their ascent as she stared back and forth between the two males.

"What happened?"

"The funeral. Of one of the Wind shinobi. We attended it just before we returned."

This time it was Shikamaru who spoke up.

The memory was obviously fresh in his mind and Ino could easily imagine it. They had been to a number of them themselves. None of their gang fortunately but Kurenai-sensei had been lost just last year. The ANBU had brought her body back, the bones sticking out of ripped and bloodied flesh in a grotesque display of death. The trademark crimson eyes had still been open, bloodshot and cloudy as they stared out unseeingly before the medic-nins had quickly placed a cloth over her face.

Ino could still remember with painful clarity the stunned looks of horror on Team 8's face as they stood stiffly at their old sensei's funeral. It had been cloudy that day, cold and grey like it always seemed to be whenever they gathered together in mourning. There were no tears, no outward expressions of grief and that just made it seem worse.

Asuma-sensei had never been the same since.

"Did you know him?"

Shikamaru shook his head, pushing his own bowl away as he leaned against the counter.

"It seemed to hit Neji hard though for some reason. He was quiet all the way back."

"He didn't sleep."

Naruto had sat back down and was now simply staring at the wall. He shook himself when Shikamaru elbowed him, seeming to have recovered from his temporary funk although his voice was still comparatively quiet.

"Neji. I knew he was awake most of the time. He's barely slept for the past three days."

"He said something about going to find you the minute we left the Godaime's office. Did you see him?"

Ino nodded slowly, her stomach turning as she digested the news. Shikamaru was watching her narrowly again, a tanned hand lifting to squeeze her briefly on the shoulder.

"Yeah, you're troublesome but so is Neji. And like you, he probably doesn't mean to be."

Smiling tremulously at his kindness, Ino stood up, rummaging in her pocket for some money. Again, he waved her off.

"Consider it thanks that he's the one who has to deal with you now."

A groan sounded from the boy as he rubbed his arm ruefully. She laughed, spirits lifted.

"Then consider that as punishment for what you said earlier! And Shika?"

He peered cautiously at her. Bright blue eyes twinkled in affection.

"Thank you."

Calling out a goodbye to Naruto as she ducked out of the shop, Ino leapt swiftly up onto the nearest rooftop and headed back towards the forest again.

Dusk was fast approaching when she arrived in their training area, the fading rays of sunlight casting long shadows over the empty clearing. Ino stepped over some broken pieces of wood, the general destruction screaming of the previous occupier's unrestrained attacks.

Neji was nowhere in sight.

Frowning as she fingered a slightly charred handprint embedded in a tree trunk, Ino strained to think where he was.

It was too early for him to head back home and somehow, she doubted that he was in the mood to be cooped up for the night already. It was dinner time and since he had come to find her immediately after returning from their debriefing this afternoon, it was likely that he had not eaten anything all day.

"_The funeral…it seemed to hit Neji hard for some reason."_

He was probably there.

Sighing heavily, Ino made her way to the memorial stone on the edge of the village. She had no idea what she planned on saying. It irked her to think that she should apologize when he was the one who had been a jerk but fighting with him right now was not really a viable option.

Sure enough, she found him.

Standing silently in front of the large black stone engraved with the names of numerous Konoha shinobi who had given their lives for their village, the Hyuuga was alone. His lean body was bathed in the orange tints splashed across the sky, as glorious as a gilded statute gracing the deceptively tranquil scene.

His back stiffened when Ino drew closer.

Neither of them said anything when she came to stand beside him, staring down at the long list. Uchiha Sasuke's name was not present. He had been considered a missing nin and even though many villagers had felt uneasy about leaving off the name of the last of the Uchiha clan, there was no changing the fact that traitors were not included. Surprisingly enough, Naruto had not objected, his darkened blue eyes unreadable when the decision had been announced.

Neji was the first to speak.

"There's still room left."

His voice was expressionless, as cool and unfeeling as the stone in front of them.

"Yeah."

Ino turned to him. He was facing away from the sun, his face shadowed. She offered the first thing that came to mind.

"Train with me, Neji?"

Silence.

He nodded, sharply moving past her and into the trees surrounding the site. His loosely bound hair brushed against her bare arm as it swayed against his back. Following him wordlessly, Ino barely had time to brace herself for impact when a fierce blow left her staggering backwards.

_This is getting so old. _

Ducking under an arcing arm, she hurled herself towards him, aiming a hard kick at his midsection. Neji swiveled, his palm grazing the side of her throat in warning before he delivered a bruising hit to the upper arm.

"You'd be dead by now. Concentrate!"

"Worry about yourself, Hyuuga!"

Hurling several shurikan at his chest in quick succession, Ino dropped and whirled, hooking her foot neatly around his ankle and jerking him off balance. The boy somersaulted back and landed calmly on his feet, his eyes narrowing in acknowledgment before launching a fresh attack.

They continued like this until the sky had turned a velvety black, the night air chilling the perspiration soaking their bodies as the forest grew noisy with its curious inhabitants. Their sounds of harsh panting were met with a few loud hoots as a massive owl propelled itself from a watching tree, its wings flapping rhythmically as it glided above the two shinobi collapsed on the grass.

"E-enough, Neji. I can't move anymore."

Ino turned her head to peer imploringly at the form leaning heavily against a tree. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest at the movement, her clothes splattered with mud and various other cuts as she lay there in complete exhaustion.

"Hn."

She took his grunt as assent, closing her eyes thankfully as she heaved in some much needed air to her lungs. They rested like this for a long while, each lost in their own thoughts.

"I'm sorry."

As before, the words came out quietly and Ino found that they really weren't that hard to say after all. Not when they were like this. Neji raised his head to look at her, making no reply but simply staring as she sprawled out in a tangle of limbs and messy blonde hair.

"I hurt you."

He was referring to the scrapes visible on her body, the bruise on her bare arm already turning a murky yellow colour. She dismissed it off-handedly.

"Nah."

A cricket sounded in the distance, soon joined by a chorus of creaking insects. Ino shuddered at the thought of them climbing on her, but found herself too weary to even move out of the way.

_Ugh, I'm going to feel like crap tomorrow. _

There was a rustle and strong arms wrapped under her shoulders and knees, lifting her up easily in a smooth motion.

"What?"

Ino opened her eyes, blinking in confusion as she stared up into the face of one Hyuuga Neji. He was carrying her in his arms, his body warm against her side as they made their way out of the woods.

"Uh…Neji, you don't have to do this! You've got to be tired too. I can walk, really!"

A raised eyebrow met her flustered cry, the boy simply shifting her in his arms to rearrange her weight. Opening her mouth to protest some more, Ino changed her mind when an experimental flex of her right calf sent a burning twinge through her entire leg.

"Ow!"

"Stop moving around. You should soak in warm water for at least an hour when you get home."

His tone was brisk but his hold was gentle. Giving up, Ino mumbled her thanks and dropped her head against his shoulder. The scent of him surrounded her senses and she closed her eyes again. He smelled like incense, the rich masculine tones unusually soothing and lulling her sleep.

"Why did you do this?"

The question rumbled up from deep within his chest, the vibration and sound urging her to stay awake.

"Hmm? Do what?"

"This. Become a shinobi."

There were many reasons, all of them presenting themselves in her mind at the same time. But Ino knew he was looking for something in particular. What it was, she wasn't sure. But knowing Neji, he would not have asked unless it was important.

"Lots of reasons. My dad; I admire him for his strength, his dedication. For who he is and how much he loves Konoha. For my friends; I want to protect them. I want to become strong for them."

"You're naming the people you know. They're already shinobi. They're in the same situation."

She looked up at him, his face staring straight ahead as they approached the village.

"Yeah, so?"

"What about the villagers? The whole reason shinobi exist are to protect the village, the people who can't protect themselves. They don't know what we do; they don't know what we give up. All those names on the memorial stone, all those people who died for Konoha…the villagers don't even know who most of them are."

His voice was laced with bitterness, the muscles tense against her body. Ino turned his words over in her head. She wouldn't be surprised if he was thinking about his father again, the life-long feud against the Main Family having abated over the years but the old wounds still painful.

It was true, everything he said. They would leave on missions and the only people to see them off were either their families or friends. They would return from missions, the only people to greet or mourn with them the guards at the gate and the Hokage. They would be training day in and day out, their bodies bloodied and worn but the only people who noticed were their teammates. Everyone else lived their lives peacefully, blissfully unaware of the cost it took to grant them this peace.

But at the same time, Ino also knew that he was wrong.

Images of the customers who came to her shop flitted through her mind. They would joke with her, complimenting her on her accomplishments and never hesitating to express their admiration for her duty. There was the plump lady from the dango shop down the street from her house, who always had a table available for the kunoichi who gathered there every Sunday afternoon. And then there was the old man who ran Ichiraku. Naruto had boasted on more than one occasion that he often got a free meal the night before he had to leave on another mission.

"No."

Neji glanced down at her, his pale eyes meeting the determined gleam in her blue ones.

"They care. They might not understand, but that doesn't mean that they don't care. We're a part of them as much as they are a part of the village. I didn't become a shinobi because I wanted their thanks; I became one because I love them. Because I love Konoha."

He had stopped walking, his attention focused intensely on her as she tried to express her thoughts coherently. Luckily, the streets were empty at this hour. Ino could well imagine that they made quite a sight with her curled up comfortably in the arms of the Hyuuga prodigy while he stared down at her in complete concentration.

Sakura would have had a field day.

"You said there's still room on the stone. You're right. There's still room because there's still people who love Konoha. And there always will be."

His arms tightened around her. Ino's breath caught as he pressed her forcefully against his chest, the steady thump of his heart sounding directly in her ear. An odd fluttering feeling started in her stomach when he rested his head briefly on top of hers, the strong column of his throat inches away from her mouth.

"N-Neji?"

His grip loosened immediately and Ino found herself instantly missing the comforting warmth that had seemed to encompass her a few seconds ago. His head raised sharply as he began walking again.

_The hell?_

The loose ends of his forehead band tickled her nose as they approached her house. Bending slightly, he lowered her to her feet, keeping a firm hand on her back when she wobbled precariously on tired legs.

"Thanks for bringing me home. You really didn't have to."

"It's fine."

Stepping back, he stood on the steps as she managed to open the door. Pushing away the disturbing breathless sensation threatening to bubble up in her throat, Ino turned back to say goodnight.

He was watching her, the mussed up clothes doing nothing to detract from his aristocratic appearance. Ino was bemused to see that the tensed creases around his mouth had smoothed out, although the bags under his eyes were still clearly visible. She voiced her early thoughts.

"You should really get some sleep. You look awful."

He didn't deign to reply, although she doubted she really wanted to engage in one of their insult contests this late at night. Neji spoke just as she was stepping into the house.

"Meet me on the hill on the east side of the village tomorrow night."

She groaned loudly, exasperated enough by his demand and his tone of voice to start complaining again.

"No way, Neji! I can barely move right now; there's just no way I'm training with you tomorrow! In fact, I'd be lucky if I can get out of bed."

He smirked.

"I told you to go soak in warm water. And it's not training. Just meet me there."

She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed at the moment but the Hyuuga was clearly not going to leave until she said yes. Pouting, Ino nodded wearily and he disappeared off into the night. Closing the door, she dragged herself up the stairs, wincing at every step.

_The things I do to make him happy! If it's more training tomorrow, I'm so going to kill him. _

-

* * *

**A/N: Hmm, that took a different turn from what I expected. And will someone please PLEASE stop all those filler episodes in _Naruto_? It's driving me nuts and I actually had to go back and watch the Sasuke retrieval arc just to get into the mood for writing. ...sighs...Neji is so beautiful during that fight. **

**Next update coming in a week. Thanks for reading and please do review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me

My back is killing me. I read somewhere that the best way to sleep is on your back with a towel rolled up under your neck and a pillow between your knees. The towel I can understand, but why the pillow?

-

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

Her body ached, the joints and muscles sore from over-exertion but it was not nearly as painful as she had feared.

_I guess it was worth nearly drowning in my own bathtub last night. _

"Ino-chan?"

The blonde blinked blearily into the shyly smiling face of one Hyuuga Hinata as she held out a filled teacup. Thanking her, Ino took it gratefully, taking the time to inhale the sweet rice aroma.

"Do you always come out here to meditate?"

"S-sometimes. Usually after training but it's nice to get away sometimes."

"Neji said the same thing once."

The two of them were relaxing on the grass, watching the sunset over a plate of sweets and tea. Ino had stumbled across the other girl during her stroll, eager to stretch out her limbs after a decadent day of doing absolutely nothing. Hinata had been more than willing to share her food with her, tucking her small feet underneath gracefully while the other flopped on to her stomach.

"Neji nii-san?"

"Yeah. He said he likes to watch the stars on top of the roof sometimes. Just to get some alone time once in a while."

Hinata gave her a wondering glance, the wind flirting with her short midnight locks. Slim fingers fiddled with the long sleeves of her coat.

"Neji nii-san told you that?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Turning on to her side, Ino flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. The grass was slightly rough and scratchy under her body but she didn't really mind. The other girl was fidgeting just a bit, clearly debating with herself whether she should say whatever it was she wanted to say.

"It's just…it's just that Neji nii-san doesn't really talk like that. At least not to me, I mean. Not anymore."

The sorrow in her quiet voice was obvious. Sighing, Ino rolled all the way over on to her back. The stars were just starting to come out, winking down at her from the ever-darkening sky.

"I thought everything between you two was better now. Don't tell me he's still being a jerk about the whole Main Family, Branch Family thing."

Out of the corner of her eye, Ino could see Hinata shaking her head vigorously.

"No, it is! It is better…Neji nii-san talks to me now. Ever since the first chuunin exam, it's been better. But you misunderstand, Ino-chan. The Main Family and Branch Family…he's not a jerk."

"Explain it to me then."

Ino turned to look directly into those distinctive eyes. Creamy white and unnerving, so like his but different here in that Hinata's were slightly tinted and somehow, more vulnerable. She noted her friend's flustered expression at being asked such a personal request so abruptly and sought to soften it.

"Would you explain it to me, Hinata-chan? Help me…understand him."

Yes, those eyes were so very different. They gazed back at her, compassionate and kind, the exact same display of emotions that had been so scorned by the rest of the clan.

"I think you understand already, Ino-chan. Neji nii-san would not have shared something like that if he didn't think you would understand."

The tea was lukewarm, unlike the way she remembered he told her he liked it.

"Maybe. But that doesn't mean I actually know what it is I supposedly understand. Tell me, Hinata-chan. What was he like…before? Please."

This time, the soft sigh came from the other kunoichi. Ino closed her eyes. It was a moment before the words came out in a steady litany, tinged with nostalgia and feeling.

"When we were little, Neji nii-san was…always there. He would come and find me during family assemblies; sit beside me to keep me company. After training with my father, he would come over to give me hints on how he would do a certain move or how to position my feet. Branch Family members aren't allowed to freely enter the Main Family complex but he always found a way there."

The images of a young and caring Hyuuga Neji filled Ino's mind, almost baffling in their unexpectedness.

Almost.

"But after his father died…to save mine…Neji nii-san changed. He didn't smile anymore, even though I kept trying to. He would just…train. There was nothing else."

"He was never there for you anymore?"

"N-no. He was. It's his duty."

Hinata's voice was trembling but oddly empty. Ino did not need to open her eyes to see what sort of expression was on her face; she had seen it flash across another Hyuuga's often enough.

Regret.

"But he wasn't _there_. Not anymore."

By now, it was nothing more than a whisper. The other girl sat up, smiling consolingly.

"But it's better now, right? That's what's important. And I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's okay."

Ducking her head, Hinata stared down at her clasped hands. A moment later, she looked up again, her cheeks flushed but eyes bright.

"You're right, Ino-chan. He's different. I'm different. That's what's important."

_You've grown up a lot, Hinata._

Giving the surprised girl a warm hug, Ino bounced up, brushing the grass off her clothes.

"Thanks for the tea, Hinata-chan! And thanks for talking to me. I've got to run but see you around tomorrow?"

The girl nodded, lifting her hand in farewell. Her words barely carried to Ino as she leapt up on to a tree branch, preparing to head towards the arranged meeting place.

"Thank you, Ino-chan. And thank you…for Neji nii-san."

The wind stung as she bounded from tree to tree, her muscles still groaning as the chakra flooded through them. Ino mused over what she had learnt from her little conversation with the Hyuuga heir.

The Neji she had described was one that was obviously capable of warm feelings. That he was capable of _strong_ feelings, Ino was already well aware. The previous anger, resentment and sadness. All of those were indicative of a fiery passion brimming beneath an icy veneer.

The Neji she knew, or was slowly coming to know, was, in one word, complex. Moodier than Sakura during that time of the month and more stubborn than Chouji about not dieting, Hyuuga Neji was an explosive puzzle that required every bit of skill and patience that Ino had in order to unravel.

_A lifetime, maybe._

Ino had always been a risk-taker.

A tall figure was leaning against a lonely, massive willow tree, silhouetted against the starry backdrop. They were on the edge of the forest, the full moon beaming down on them cheerfully. Waving, Ino stopped as she reached him, glancing around curiously before turning back to the boy next to her.

"Well? What did you bring me up here for?"

He frowned at her straightforwardness but made no comment. Following his example as he sat down, Ino waited impatiently for him to answer.

"I come here whenever I want to think."

His face was in profile as he stared out over the village. Ino's mind whirled. He had brought her here to share this with her. He was willing to let her in.

"Hmm."

The quiet hum seemed to be the right response as he relaxed beside her, their bodies close but not touching. Everything around Neji seemed to be still, a direct contrast to the hustle and bustle that constantly surrounded Ino. It was different, but nice at the same time.

"Shikamaru likes to watch the clouds, you know. I went with him a couple of times. It's different from watching the stars."

Her observation was made almost absently. Silence overtook them again such that Ino was actually startled when his low voice sounded from beside her.

"I thought about what you said last night."

She looked up at him. His face was shadowed by the drooping branches waving in the gentle wind. The weary bags under his eyes had lessened but were still apparent.

"Didn't you sleep at all?"

"…yes."

She didn't believe him. Naruto's words floated into her consciousness.

"_I knew he was awake most of the time. He's barely slept these past three days."_

This time it was Ino who frowned. Quickly making up her mind, she poked him in the arm, patting her lap in invitation. The boy looked at her skeptically, one brow lifted in mild surprise.

"It's a one-time offer, you know."

There was a pause as he stared down at her, his expression unreadable.

All of a sudden, Neji lowered himself smoothly, his head coming to rest in her lap as the rest of his body stretched out on the grass. His face was turned upwards, the pale eyes fixing on hers briefly before they closed almost unwillingly.

Ino had not really expected him to take her up on that offer. As it was, she was more than a little flustered.

"It's okay if you sleep. Just don't expect me to carry you home."

A huff escaped his lips and Ino laughed. A slim hand raised to touch the ends of long, dark hair as it spread itself across her legs like a rippling river. He made no move to stop her as her fingers sifted gently through his hair, occasionally stroking his scalp in a comforting manner. It was as soft as her own, the thick curtain of silk as cool as solidified air.

Ino watched as the tension melted from his body, his jaw slackening as she continued her attentions.

"You have nice hair."

A low, rumbling sound met her quiet remark, the underlying amusement faint but detectable. They sat in silence for a long while, the warmth of each other encasing them in a familiar cocoon as the night breeze ruffled over them.

"You said you do this because you love Konoha."

He didn't open his eyes but Ino had no doubt that his attention was focused on her.

"Yes."

"What would you do if the next name was someone you knew? One of your teammates or your friends."

He felt her sigh, the warm rush of air skimming over his face as she tilted her head back to admire the twinkling sky. That was something she had always feared, something all of them knew was inevitable but chose to push into the furthest recesses of their mind.

"Cry."

His eyes opened then, trailing over the curve of her jaw before he spoke.

"'A shinobi must never show emotions.'"

The corner of her lips quirked in a sarcastic parody of a smile.

"First rule of being a shinobi."

"Yes."

Ino looked down at him, her pale ponytail dancing in the breeze. His gaze held a lifetime of knowledge, the result of having been forced to grow up too fast. She knew hers were not much different.

"But that doesn't mean I can't break the rules."

A faint answering smirk met hers before he lifted one hand to brush against the silky gold strands curving down her arm. Ino's breath caught as those white eyes darkened into an almost milky-lavender.

"Who would you cry for?"

_Daddy. Shikamaru. Chouji. Sakura. Hinata. Tenten. Naruto. Kiba. Shino…_

"You."

The hot rush of blood pounding through her veins left her breathless and jittery. A gentle caw of a passing bird penetrated the silence, encouraging the still figures back into action.

Neji tugged on her hair insistently until she was bent over him, his face mere inches from her own. The hand slid up to cup the back of her head, holding her in place as her breath mingled shallowly with his.

"Me."

It was not quite a question, not quite a demand.

"Yes, you."

They stared at each other, time slowing to a halt. Calloused fingers stroked her nape but made no move to pull her down any further. Ino closed her eyes as the heady scent of incense and male wrapped around her again, well aware of the way his eyes were traveling slowly over her face.

"Thank you."

His hold on her tightened momentarily before he released her. Straightening automatically as if freed from a genjutsus, Ino sucked in a breath, watching as he closed his eyes again.

_Neji…_

The boy's breath slowed as welcome sleep overtook him, face turning towards her as though seeking her warmth. Ino was awed and humbled at the amount of trust he was implicitly placing in her. Who would have thought a year ago that Hyuuga Neji would willingly let down his guard enough to fall asleep in the lap of one Yamanaka Ino?

Wonderingly, she skimmed her fingers over the smooth arch of his cheekbone, careful to keep her touch light so that it would not wake him. He looked almost childlike in repose, the constant alertness bred into him from as soon as he was old enough to train now conspicuously absent.

_How many of us are lucky enough to live a normal childhood?_ _How many children are taught how to slit a man's throat efficiently enough so that it doesn't spray into your eyes? How many children actually end up have to do it?_

Ino's mind wandered through what she knew of her friends.

She and her teammates were lucky in that respect, able to enjoy a relatively carefree period of their lives before family or desire had propelled them into the academy. Others were not so lucky.

There was Shino, his innate quietness compounded by the fact that others were either too scared or too repulsed by the thought of millions of insects swarming under his skin. Of course there was Hinata and Neji, their lives dictated by their clan the moment they were born. One ridiculed and discarded for being too weak to fulfill her destiny while the other pitied and overlooked despite his skills for being born into the wrong side of the family.

And not to mention Naruto and Gaara. Both of them shared the same story, the same agony and loneliness for something that had been forced on them without their knowledge. How they must have suffered, Ino could only imagine and she was simply thankful that they were both still here, finally saved by those around them.

A flash in the sky caught her attention and the girl lifted her eyes quickly enough to catch the tail end of a shooting star. Her fingers traced along his bottom lip, skimming over the smooth skin as delicately as an alighting butterfly.

_They say that if you wish on a star, your wishes will come true._

"Would you break the rules for me, Neji?"

Her whisper carried on the winds, almost lost in the rustle of leaves.

"Yes."

Startled, Ino glanced back down, her hand stilling. He was staring up at her, the look in his eyes unexpectedly warm and gentle. She squirmed a bit in embarrassment at having been caught in her musings, finally laughing aloud in flushed resignation when he smirked at her.

"Good to know."

In a flash, he was sitting upright; one lean arm stretched over her legs to plant itself in the grass on her other side. His face hovered over hers, his expression serious.

She would never get used to his mood swings.

"Make sure I don't have to."

The command in his voice was obvious and it took Ino a substantial amount of effort not to toss him a curt reply. His proximity was throwing her off again and she didn't like the way her senses fluttered uncontrollably in response.

"Deal."

He stared at her for another moment before standing gracefully, extending a hand to her which she accepted.

"I'll take you home."

The two of them made their way back down to the village, each feeling an odd sense of peace that neither knew how to verbalize.

Maybe they didn't need to.

**-o-O-o-**

It became a nightly ritual for them, meeting whenever they were not on missions to just sit there together underneath the drooping willow tree. Sometimes they went directly after training, sometimes after dinner but in any case, it was always the two of them.

They talked about many things. Their latest mission, their friends, their families, life in general. If any of the others had happened to come across them during these times, they would have been shocked to find that Hyuuga Neji could be so open and Yamanaka Ino could be so calm.

In truth, it was a bit surprising to the participants themselves.

It was during one of these meetings that Ino dared to bring up something that she had meant to ask for the longest time. He was lying with his head in her lap as had become his habit, no longer waiting for her to ask before he settled himself against her as if it was his right.

As if he had a claim to her.

Ino had just returned from another sleuth mission, this time a week long one that had involved gathering information from the Daimyo of Rain. She could still feel his clammy hands all over her, the leer on his bloated face drawing closer as he murmured something lewd in her ear. Those were the missions she hated the most, the ones where kunoichi were used as bait in order to distract yet another disgusting old man with too much power and too little sense.

But she didn't complain; none of them did. Their bodies were weapons and they knew their duty.

She had been late tonight, too preoccupied with scrubbing the memory of his filth from her skin to notice the time. When she had arrived in a hurry, Neji had already been there, his eyes traveling over her over-pink skin shrewdly as she mumbled something about having to clean up after her mission. He had ignored her apology, simply motioning for her to sit down before he eased himself into his position.

It was likely he knew what had happened, that he had either seen it in her eyes or had seen it in real life. Perhaps he had even ordered it as a squad leader, the damning command burning its way out of his mouth even as his mind shredded itself in guilt and rebellion. But if he knew, Neji gave no indication. And if the way he was lingeringly touching her knee was out of the ordinary, neither of them mentioned it.

"Hyuuga Kyomaya was on my team."

Ino was referring to the somber Branch Family chuunin who looked not unlike Neji himself. His physical resemblance had comforted her somewhat, although it had also made her more ashamed about what she had done than she normally would have been.

"He is good at Jyuuken, although his speed could be improved."

The bland response was characteristic of him, although she knew he was waiting to see where she was going with this.

"Yeah. He said he was your cousin."

"The Hyuugas are a large clan. I have many cousins."

That wasn't what she meant. The hand that had been running through his hair removed itself, pausing in mid-air before lowering to lightly touch the chilled metal of his hiatae.

Pale eyes snapped open, a large hand shooting up to grab hold of her wrist firmly. His grip was not cruel but his voice was as controlled as tightly honed steel.

"What are you doing?"

Ino did not flinch under his cold gaze.

"Taking off your forehead protector."

"No."

His hand tightened marginally but she ignored the unspoken warning.

"Why not?"

"Because."

"That's not an answer."

Her other hand came up to brush against his bandaged arm. The scent of fall hung in the air, whispering of decay and the promise of new life at the same time.

"Please…Neji."

Ino never found out whether it was the husky plea in her voice or the unspoken knowledge between them of what she had just gone through. But whatever it was, it had Neji frowning before his hold on her loosened after a heartbeat. Taking that as assent, Ino slowly slipped her hand around to untie the black cloth, pulling it free until the band was removed and placed on the grass beside her.

Their gazes locked as she traced the darkened swirls on his forehead with gentle fingers, his shuttered while hers were wondering.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not unless someone from the Main Family activates it."

Her caressing motions never ceased, smoothing over the crease between his brows until the hard tension reluctantly lessened. The hand that had stopped her before was now back on his stomach, the knuckles white as though he was preparing to fling her away at any moment.

"I mean, does it hurt inside?"

The intensity of his gaze sharpened multi-fold. Neji seemed to be turning her words over in his head, weighing them for meaning and sincerity before he deigned to answer.

"Always."

The stark loss in his voice struck a chord deep within her.

A harsh indrawn breath sounded from his lips when Ino bent forward suddenly, her own unbound forehead pressing into his as her hair spilled around them in a pale, shimmering curtain that smelled of lilacs. She could feel the marks of his cage against her flesh, her eyes closed as she absorbed his pain.

"Ino?"

It was the first time he had ever called her by her given name. Her hand returned to his hair, stroking him reassuringly.

"I'm sorry."

"No."

Her head lifted again at his almost angry retort. Neji was staring at her, the wariness glaringly evident even though he did not move away from her touch.

"Do not apologize. You have done nothing wrong."

Ino shook her head, horrified at the tears threatening to leak out. She wasn't referring to the curse seal. She knew as well as he did that there was nothing she could have done to change it even if they had been friends from the beginning.

"That's not what I meant."

The shame was overwhelming, as was the self-disgust she had yet to become hardened to. His eyes softened, the anger still evident but not directed at her.

"I know."

It was the quiet understanding in his voice that undid her. Ino sobbed once as the hot rush of tears finally let loose, spilling over her cheeks before she buried her face in her hands. He let her do so before turning his face until it was pressed against her stomach. Choking down the cries, Ino glanced down at him, her vision blurry as she blinked in confusion.

"Neji?"

One large hand was stroking her arm gently, tugging it down from her face. His dark hair hid his face from her sight as he lay there otherwise unmoving. Ino held her breath, flabbergasted at such an intimate display of support.

He said nothing, merely continuing his soft ministrations until she quieted. Lowering her hands gingerly to his hair, she took the comfort he was offering her.

"Does it hurt?"

The colour bloomed on her cheeks at the feel of his lips moving against her. Ino was glad that he could not see her face.

"No, not really. I saw Hokage-sama before I went home."

He tilted his head up to face her, the moonlight lighting up the opal glow of those eyes. The angled planes of his face were beautiful.

"I mean, does it hurt inside?"

A small smile curved his lips at her weak laugh at his words, although his expression remained concerned. Long fingers pulled her free hand to rest on his chest, spreading it flat until she felt herself lulled into calming down by the steady beat of his heart. Her fingers tightened over his as she closed her eyes, leaning back against the tree trunk in exhaustion.

The weight on her thighs lifted and a shadow fell across the darkness behind her eyelids as he bent to pick her up. Her answer fluttered over them just before sleep claimed her.

"Always."

-

* * *

**A/N: Okay, this is the re-edited version. **19bLuEoRaNgE9** was kind enough to** **note that there were a lot of spelling mistakes in the first post, but when I went back to edit, I couldn't find anything other than a repeated word. If there are anymore, please do not hesitate to tell me, everyone! **

**I adore awkward moments where you're kinda wondering: 'okay, did he do that because he likes me or did he just do it cuz he feels comfortable around me like an old pillow he doesn't mind hugging?' They are super cute and shy (as compared to a straight-out 'i like you' ... in my opinion at least) but a pain in the ass at the same time. **

**NEWAYS, update coming next Saturday. Thank you for reading and please do review!**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me

Sorry this is so late! The site wouldn't let me upload any documents for the longest time and I had to wait for the support system to get it fixed. But yeah, hope you enjoy this!

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* * *

Chapter 5

* * *

It was the feel of cool cotton sheets sliding over her that woke Ino up.

"Neji?"

The shadowed figure bent over her straightened, hands falling back to his sides after he tucked her plain white sheets around her shoulders. The room was dark, the thin curtains waving in the air as a night breeze entered through the open window next to her bed. Moonlight barely illuminated his features as he stood there quietly.

"You should sleep."

Ino struggled to sit up, only vaguely aware of how the Hyuuga had carried her home again. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, she sighed listlessly, gazing out the window onto the empty streets below.

"I can't."

The faint skepticism in his voice was tinged with tiredness of his own.

"You slept well enough on the way back."

"Yeah."

An exasperated tug at her hair tie had her hair falling around her in a loose array of pale gold. Ino wrapped the sheets tighter around herself, finally turning to look up at him. He was watching her, those opaque eyes just visible in the darkness. It reminded Ino of the luminescent eyes of the various creatures that would blink at them from the blanket security of the forest during missions.

She shivered.

"Will you stay?"

There was no shocked jump or flustered response. Neji merely raised an eyebrow, shifting his gaze to the wall. If he was surprised, Ino couldn't tell.

"Why?"

"…because."

There was complete silence after that. She was just ready to cringe inwardly at how her request must have sounded when the boy suddenly sat down on the edge of her bed. Leaning back against the wall, he propped up a bent leg, considerately keeping his sandals off the mattress.

"That's not an answer, you know."

Ino chuckled, gingerly lying back down. She kept some space between them, curling up on her side so that she was facing him. Or rather, facing his thigh.

"Yeah, I know. And stop throwing my words back at me."

Lifting a corner of the sheets, she offered it to him. Neji looked down at her for a moment before accepting it wordlessly, draping it over his legs as he continued to sit next to her.

"You can sleep here if you want. I don't mind. I share tents with other shinobi all the time."

"It's fine."

He shifted slightly, uncrossing his arms so that one bandaged hand lay in the space between them.

"I will stay until you fall asleep."

Yawning, Ino nodded, closing her eyes gratefully. It was somewhat disconcerting to have Hyuuga Neji in her bedroom in the middle of the night but at this point, she didn't have the energy to ponder over it. His scent was … warmer for some reason and she had to resist the urge to inch closer. A light touch on her head had her pouting.

"Hmm, what?"

"Nothing. Sleep."

He was stroking her hair, not unlike the way she often did to him whenever they were together. Long fingers brushed through the silky strands, soothing and non-threatening; Ino mumbled something incoherently, too relaxed to bother opening her eyes. At the same time, she felt oddly exhilarated despite the late hour, the sound of her heart pounding in her ears as if braced for a fight.

His fingers grazed her cheek as he smoothed the hair away from her face.

"You feel flushed. Are you sick?"

"N-no."

Turning so that her face was pressed into her pillow, Ino grimaced. This was silly; it was only Neji. Neji, who was basically another Shikamaru. Someone whom she trusted and fought alongside. Someone whose company she enjoyed and whose skills she admired. Someone whose face popped into her mind whenever she had something exciting to show him, or whenever she had something to talk about. Someone who was undeniably attractive, but more importantly, had become important to her…

_Oh, crap. _

Muffling a groan, Ino barely registered that his motions had stopped and that he was now much closer than before. Neji leaned over, frowning at the way she had abruptly stiffened a moment ago. Dark hair spilled over to mingle with gold on her white pillow.

"What's wrong? I thought you had all your injuries attended to already?"

His tone was brisk, easily mistaken for irritation or impatience. But Ino had spent enough time with him by now to recognize that it was worry that added the hard edge. She forced her voice to be strong.

"No, I'm fine. Just thought of something."

The hand firmly urged her to tilt her head up to face him. He frowned down at her, clearly disregarding her words as he assessed her for himself. Ino held her breath as he scrutinized her closely, praying that her heated cheeks had cooled down somewhat.

"What were you thinking about?"

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

The frown marginally lessened and Neji sat back up. He was close enough now that the small hand Ino curled next to her mouth was pressed against him. He resumed his caresses, face turned forwards towards the dresser opposite her bed.

"Sleep. Stop thinking."

"Hah! I'm not Naruto, you know."

Her half-hearted grumble had the corner of his lips quirking as he closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. He was so warm, the heat practically radiating off of him and enclosing her in a protected cocoon.

_He's right. Stop thinking, Ino. _

"Goodnight, Neji."

His hand stilled momentarily before slipping down through the mass of hair to softly touch the bare skin on the nape of her neck.

"Goodnight."

**-o-O-o-**

Ino hurried through the narrow entrance of the bar, hastily smoothing out a non-existent wrinkle on her skirt. It was already dark and the place was packed with off-duty shinobi and villagers alike. The atmosphere was friendly and comfortable, even with the buzz of conversations and constant clinks of sake cups.

A familiar dark-haired man waved lazily at her from his position right in front of the drinks server. It was Shikamaru's father, completely sloshed judging from the way he was toppling over his stool. Thankfully, her own father was nowhere in sight.

_I'm running late as it is. I don't need an overprotective interrogation on what I'm doing here and who I'm with. _

The very thought of who she was meeting added an extra sparkle to her bright blue eyes. It had been almost a week since Neji had spent the night with her. Ino had awoken to see him slumped over in his upright position, mouth slightly open as he breathed slowly. His hands were in his lap, hands that could kill without mercy or hesitation but had been so gentle with her before. She had simply lay there staring up at him, turning over her thoughts in her head as he slept on obliviously.

To be honest, Ino was not really all that surprised. She had long acknowledged that the Hyuuga was unearthly beautiful, possibly even more gorgeous than Uchiha Sasuke had been given the absence of that perpetual scowl. And although her initial objective in getting to know him better was because she had been curious, Ino also admitted that it was because she felt like she knew him.

That night by the lake, all those months ago, she had not been lying. She understood how it felt to be on the run all the time, constantly searching for some meaning, some _purpose_ that would make all of this worthwhile.

What she hadn't expected was that, in the process of finding herself in him, she had also lost herself at the same time.

Hyuuga Neji was the part of her she both lacked and strove to achieve at the same time. He was solid where she was floundering, strong where she was weak. The proverbial calm in the eye of a storm. There was iron-clad restraint as befit his clan and rank but also the promise of passion behind that forceful will. Passion that whispered to her and tempted her with every cautious word, every held gaze, every lingering touch.

_Who would have thought?_

A small, self-deprecating smile played on her lips. Indeed, who would have thought that after rejecting so many others over the years, she had been searching for something that she had known since she was thirteen? Artfully stomping on the foot of a leering man who had the temerity to pinch her on the butt, Ino ignored his indignant yelp, focusing instead on searching for the Hyuuga.

She spotted him quickly. He was sitting alone at a table in the corner of the room, the others apparently intimidated enough by his usual stony glare to give him a wide berth. Naturally, he paid no heed to the deferential stares and hushed murmurs aimed in his direction.

Grinning at his deliberately threatening manner, Ino started forward to tease him when she was stopped by a loud voice.

"Neji-kun!"

She watched in mild interest as Sakura made her way over to him. Curious as to her friend's rather determined expression, Ino stealthily pressed her back against the wall, concealing herself in the shadows efficiently.

The Hyuuga turned his head slightly to see a head of pink hair perched on to the high stool next to him. It was that Haruno girl again, the one Ino hung around. The one apprenticing under the Godaime.

He made some non-committal sound in reply, not interested in starting up a conversation with her.

"How come you're sitting here all by yourself? Waiting for someone?"

The teasing tone in her voice had him smirking.

"Not for you."

She pouted jokingly, openly staring at him for a moment. He was indeed gorgeous, his long dark hair gleaming despite the smokiness of the bar, his features perfectly sculpted, his body lean and muscled. Even now, when he was just sitting there imitating a frozen lump of wood, she could easily see the covert glances other females threw at him in appreciative admiration. A brief pang of envy struck her as Inner Sakura howled.

_Damn that Ino! How'd she manage to snare him? _

_Yeah, but looks aside, he's like a block of ice. _

Ah, good thing she could rely on her rational side.

"Ino's going to be jealous if you're waiting for another girl."

Her laughter was cut short as she felt a pair of hard eyes fixed intensely on hers. Sakura waited for him to say something but he didn't. He simply continued staring at her like she was some annoying, freakish insect.

A disturbing thought popped into her head. She was probably just being suspicious since she wasn't really all that familiar with the Hyuuga but it wasn't in her personality to brush it off.

"So…what's up with you and Ino anyways, huh?"

The boy tapped long fingers against the hard surface of the table, his jaw tightening imperceptibly. The girl was nosy.

"What do you mean?"

Sakura blinked uncertainly. His tone was cold and flat, but nevertheless, she felt as though there had been some sort of warning in it. She had the same disconcerting feeling she always got whenever a mission entailed venturing into unknown enemy territory with only your brain and a blunt kunai.

"I mean, you spend all your time with her. You like her…like _that_, right?"

Neji looked away from the pink-haired kunoichi, his pale eyes blank and emotionless. Around the corner, Ino swallowed painfully, her fingers gripping the edge of the wall so hard that the plaster started to crumble around her hand.

He was silent.

A slight frown creased Sakura's wide forehead. This had not been what she had expected when she came over to tease the Hyuuga prodigy. Ino's laughing face surfaced in her mind; the blonde brimming with excitement and pleasure, her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes rendering her even more beautiful than before. A sense of anxiety accompanied it. Despite everything, or perhaps because of everything, Sakura did not want to see her friend hurt.

More than hurt. Even if she wouldn't admit it to herself.

Leaning tentatively on the table, the girl's steady voice was unusually serious.

"If you don't like her, why are you treating her like this?"

He gave no indication that he heard her, his gaze distant as he tossed back the remainder of the small cup of sake he had been nursing the entire night. Staring sympathetically at him for a moment, the other girl smiled sadly before leaving him alone.

A rush of air she had not realized she had been holding in escaped Ino's lips. Releasing her white-knuckled grip on the cracked wall, she turned away to lean her head back against the cold plaster. Nameless people flowed past her in the narrow corridor, their chatter and faces a dull blur as she stared unseeingly at the flickering yellow light on the opposite wall.

Closing her eyes against the sudden throbbing in her head, Ino pushed herself off, clenching her hands into fists in order to hide the trembling she could not seem to stop. Pushing her way through the mass of bodies out into the chilly night air, she sucked in a couple of deep breaths, consciously clearing her brain of the encroaching fog.

She was so stupid really. So naive. To honestly believe that she could be the one to reach out to him. To believe that he would let someone like her in.

So stupid.

The thought kept running through her mind like an endless chant. The streets were relatively empty at this time of night, the majority of the village slumbering peacefully as a lone kunoichi made her way slowly down the road towards her house.

How many times had she traveled down this exact same path before? Hundreds? Thousands? And yet, never before had it seemed so long, so empty.

_Ugh, please. No need for me to get all melodramatic. That's Sakura's job._

The quiet snicker that escaped her lips held no mirth, only bitterness. It was on the way home that she heard a familiar voice loudly calling her name from behind.

"Oi, Ino! Wait up!"

She turned to see Kiba sauntering over to her, his customary hooded coat discarded in favour of a heavier jacket. He was good-looking in a rugged sort of way, the brash attitude combined with a gruff underlying kindness rendering him irresistible to some of the village females.

"Hey, Kiba. You're out late."

Ino was dimly pleased to find that her voice came out steady. She was not a kunoichi for nothing.

"'_A shinobi must never show emotions.'"_

"_Would you break the rules for me, Neji?"_

She bit her lip, forcing down the damning sting beneath her eyelids.

The Inzunuka grinned widely at her, his fangs glinting ferally in the streetlight. The strong smell of alcohol wafted off him in droves.

"Yeah, just finished drinkin' with Naru...Naruto. Frickin' idiot's out cold!"

Her nose wrinkled as he lurched unsteadily on his feet. Just her luck to have to deal with a drunk on a night like this.

"You should go home, Kiba. I so do not need you throwing up on me right now."

"Awww…Ino! Come drink with me! You look…look like you need it."

Great, had she become so transparent that even a totally pissed Kiba could tell that something was wrong? Shrieking as he swayed heavily against her, Ino fumbled with his arms, trying to shift his dead weight into a more tolerable position.

"Dammit, Kiba! Get off me, dog-boy! You stink!"

All she got was a reeking groan right in her ear.

Whacking him on the head hard enough to produce another pained moan from the passed out boy currently draped all over her, Ino gritted her teeth as she began dragging him down the road. It was a choice between dumping him here in the dirt or bringing him back to her house. There was no way she was going to carry his ass all the way around the village until she found wherever it was that he lived.

At least the rather pressing problem of dealing with the Inzunuka served to take her mind off what she had just witnessed in the bar. Thank Kami for small graces.

"You owe me, dog-boy. You owe me big."

**-o-O-o-**

Glancing irritably at the clock on the wall, Neji masked a frown.

The girl was two hours late and he had never heard anything about her being late before. Well, at least not that late and not without a good reason. The never-ending noise around him was giving him a headache and he had no desire for another drink. Alcohol was unnecessary; it merely served to impair one's ability to control themselves and if there was anything Neji had a firm grip on, it was his self-control.

_Where is she? A last-minute mission? Or what if she's injured somewhere and can't get a message to me?_

His forehead creased involuntarily. Pushing himself smoothly to his feet, he walked out of the bar, the crowd parting easily for him as people inched out of the way of the obviously annoyed Hyuuga.

Leaping swiftly over rooftops en route to Ino's house, Neji's mind sifted through the odd conversation he had had with Sakura. His first impression of her had been correct; she was nosy.

It was none of her business. None of this was anyone's business besides the two of them.

That was what he had sorely been tempted to bark at her when she started questioning his relationship with Ino. Her blatant interrogation had been unexpected and to his irritation, he had been unable to formulate an appropriate response and so, had remained silent.

_I mean, you spend all your time with her._

Neji hardly knew why.

All he could say for sure was that he enjoyed spending time with her. Enjoyed the way she tilted her head to the right when she laughed, the way she tugged absentmindedly on the ends of her pale blonde hair when she was thinking about something seriously. She was openly affectionate in a manner he could only aspire to and generously accepting of all his various flaws without condemnation.

_You like her…like that, right?_

His pale eyes narrowed. That girl. She was confusing him. He sped up, heedless of the biting air snaking under his clothes.

_Which girl?_

A sharp knock startled Ino from her unthinking reverie.

She glanced up from her huddled spot on the floor, blindly wondering who on earth was visiting at this hour. Her mother was asleep in her room, while Kiba was sprawled out in the exact same position where she had brusquely dumped him on the sofa in the living room. His snores were relatively muffled since his face was squashed into the cushion.

Another loud knock had her groaning as she forced herself to get up and answer it. What was with everyone today? Couldn't she just get some peace and quiet, for once?

"I'm coming, okay? Hold on."

Unlocking the heavy door, Ino blinked into a pair of calm white eyes.

"Neji?"

"Where were you? I waited for you for nearly two hours."

His voice was curt, more so than usual anyways. Tossing a quick look over her shoulder, Ino kept her hold on the door, blocking the way into the house.

"Can you be quiet, Neji? Do you know what time it is?"

Just at that moment, his opaque gaze landed on the obviously male jacket thrown on the floor in the middle of the hallway. His eyes narrowed as he took in the large, worn pair of sandals unceremoniously tossed on the floor, hardening like flint as he took in her rumpled appearance and faint scent of alcohol on her.

Leaning back nonchalantly against the doorframe, his head cocked to the side as he crossed his arms across a broad chest. His eyebrows raised mockingly.

"Oh, is someone here?"

Kiba took that moment to snort out a particularly loud snore. The sudden surge in killing intent emanating from the Hyuuga almost had her taking a cautious step back.

_Calm down, Ino. You know he would never hurt you._

Urging herself to stand her ground, Ino scoffed, long since having learned not to back down from his unexpected bursts of temper. She glared pointedly at the strong hands that were already forming familiar seals.

"Don't you dare use Byakugan to peek into my house, Hyuuga Neji! That's one invasion of privacy that I will _not_ forgive."

"I asked you if there was someone here."

His voice was colder than the feel of a shurikan slicing through flesh during the dead of the night. Her hand tightened on the doorknob.

She could give as good as she got.

"I don't see how that's any of your business. I mean, it's not like you're my boyfriend, right?"

Those eyes flickered over her face once before shifting back to glare at the offending garment behind her. His pointed disregard for her last statement merely served to feed the flames of pain and humiliation coursing through her body. It was instinct, a sense of self-preservation, which had her on the offensive.

Trying desperately to hold on to the shreds of dignity she still had left before he ripped those from her with his inevitable rejection, Ino pressed on recklessly. Anger lent a sting of forced cruelty to the spew of words tumbling out of her mouth.

Tipping her head up closer to his in a mimicry of the intimacy they had lately begun to share, the girl arched an elegant eyebrow right back at him. A bitter laugh accompanied the sneer on her lips.

"You must have made some sort of mistake, Hyuuga. Did you actually think that we were in love or something?"

To her horror, Ino's voice cracked just the slightest bit at the end. Hurriedly slamming the door shut before she could see his eyes narrow at her, she slowly slid to the floor, leaning against the door in a limp pile. The tears were flowing freely now, Ino having no companion to mock her for her display of weakness or tease her awkwardly out of it.

No one besides the rumbling snores of the boy she had unthinkingly used to protect herself from the boy she wanted with every fibre of her being.

She knew he had heard it; nothing escaped Hyuuga Neji. And that was why it hurt so much. He must have known how she felt. And yet he had allowed her continue on, had allowed her get closer to him in the blind hope of his one day returning those feelings. He had allowed her to make a fool of herself even though he did not feel the same way towards her.

Had never had any intention of accepting or returning.

And that was what was too cruel.

-

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**A/N: School is fast reaching the end...been BEYOND busy trying to get caught up on all my studying and reading so I won't embarass myself (again) during finals this time. Urgh...**

**Next update should be coming next Thursday or so. Thanks for reading and please do review!**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me

ARGHH, I know it's been ages since I last posted so many MANY apologies to all of you who have been so patient and so kind to put up with me! I really appreciate it and I'm just glad to have all my exams over and done with. It's been an absolutely brutal past month and I'm actually scared to go check my marks cuz it was pretty rough out there. All ranting aside though, thank you so much for all your encouragement and hopefully you'll enjoy this next chp!

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* * *

Chapter6

* * *

The sun gleamed off a sweat-slicked body, winking conspiratorially at the two other shinobi standing nearby.

"Neji, I think that's enough for today."

Tenten shifted somewhat uncertainly, exchanging a look with Lee as the Hyuuga paid her no attention.

"Neji?"

"Then leave."

Hands flying in a flurry of seals, he spun solidly in the dirt, the crashing wave of chakra emanating from his body scarring the surrounding trees, leaving angry jagged marks in its wake.

Wincing at the sudden sting whipping across their faces, Tenten hesitated before trying again.

"Look, Neji. I don't know what happened but pushing yourself isn't going to solv…"

"Go away, Tenten."

The command was sharp, the warning coming across loud and clear. Pursing her lips in worry, the kunoichi gestured to Lee, who shot the Hyuuga a long look before following her obediently down the hill.

Panting slightly, Neji picked up one of the kunai scattered on the ground. Twirling it between his fingers, he closed his eyes briefly before flinging it forcefully at a tree. The metal lodged itself into the wood with a dull thunk, the sound oddly loud amidst the suddenly quiet clearing.

Staring down at his hands, the bandages now ripped and dirtied, Neji inhaled deeply, trying to clear his mind.

He could not understand what happened, why she acted the way she did. He didn't know how long he stood there on her doorstep last night, staring unseeingly at the shut door in front of his face. He could barely hear her on the other side, moving slowly and heavily until the sounds faded as she retreated further into the house.

_Back to bed._

A low hiss escaped his lips as an arm whipped around to hurl another kunai at the same target. Eyes narrowed, Neji stalked over to pull them out, his movements uncharacteristically jerky.

"_You must have made some sort of mistake, Hyuuga. Did you actually think we were in love or something?"_

The snap of the twig had him glancing to his left in irritation. Irritation that quickly morphed into something different before a lifetime of training concealed it behind a mask of calm.

"Yamanaka."

The blonde met his pale gaze head-on, barely nodding in acknowledgement before moving swiftly past him towards another training field. He watched her intently, taking in the tightly controlled face and fingers fidgeting with the kunai pouch swinging from her waist.

The pouch he had given her.

His sudden movement towards her must have been unexpected as her hand jolted and ended up pulling the knot free. The pale blue bag landed on the ground, its owner flushing before turning to bend down.

"Here."

Ino paused, barely glancing at the proffered item before taking it from his hand and turning away again.

"Shouldn't you say thank you?"

Tying the bag securely on her waist, the girl kept walking.

"Please don't talk to me. My head's still killing me from last night."

Silence.

"Wait."

"Wait? Do you have any idea how rare it is nowadays for Asuma-sensei to even train us? If I'm late, he'll probably make me run laps just to…"

A firm hand clasped around her elbow pulled her almost roughly to a halt.

"Stop joking."

Yanking her arm away, Ino settled for a thinly-veiled expression of boredom, her eyes as shuttered and blank as the ones boring into her.

"We need to talk about what happened."

She scoffed openly, the sound mirthless and unbelieving.

"Oh, really? The high and mighty Hyuuga Neji actually wanting to talk to someone? I must be dreaming…"

"You're dreaming if you think I'd let you get away with this."

"Get away with what?"

The colour rose in her cheeks, temper flaring instantly at his domineering attitude.

"Since when do you have any say over what I do, Hyuuga? I didn't think I needed your permission to 'let' me do anything!"

"You're defensive."

His calmness was infuriating. How dare he look and act so uncaring when he had the temerity to butt into her life like this?

Ino stood her ground, refusing to back down when he so obviously expected her to.

"And you're an asshole. Got anything more to say before I get the hell out of here?"

"Yes. What happened last night?"

His pale eyes followed her every movement closely, coldly scrutinizing the weary bags, the pursed lips. Neji straightened, his own expression as impassive as a block of ice.

"Not only are you late without any explanation, but I end up finding you stinking of alcohol and some other guy. So that's the type of girl you are?"

The sneering contempt was bitingly evident in his voice as he circled her slowly, his eyes never leaving her paling face.

"I should have known. You're nothing more than another pathetic little girl who throws herself at the nearest man just because she can't stand the thought of being alone. Of course, you must have gotten used to it, having all those strangers pawing at you…"

"It wasn't a stranger!"

Ino's face flushed an angry red, practically snapping the words at him. How dare he? How dare he throw something like that in her face when he knew how much she already hated herself for it?

"It was Kiba."

Neji stopped, his face mere inches from hers as he glared coldly into her eyes. He said nothing, the damning words suspended in the tangible tension between them.

_You started it. It's not my fault._

"I was with Kiba. We were together for the entire night. Happy, now?"

She could see the muscle in his jaw clench, his lips thinning as he suddenly jerked back in disgust.

The movement brought the ends of his hiatai swaying forwards, barely brushing against her chin. The feel of it brought back memories, memories mingled with an overwhelming sense of horror and self-loathing that Ino ruthlessly quashed in order to hold on to the indignation she so righteously felt belonged to her.

Seeing that the Hyuuga was obviously not going to say anything, she spun around, deliberately smacking her ponytail in his face in a typically childish manner. Her exiting stalk was ruined however, by a flat, emotionless query.

"Do you love him?"

The harsh question had her pausing involuntarily. Never in her life would Ino have expected Hyuuga Neji to unbend from his strict sense of propriety enough to actually inquire into something so personal. She didn't turn back, unable to come up with an answer.

"You don't, do you?"

His voice was getting louder, angrier, accompanied by a brisk step forwards.

"How can you do that with him, if you don't love him?"

Swallowing past the lump lodged in her throat, Ino clenched her fist, wanting to scream at him but too fearful that she would only embarrass herself further. She could hear him breathing behind her, even from a few feet away, the sound oddly ragged and empty.

Ino merely shook her head, her feet moving almost automatically to take her away.

_I don't know. How can you?_

**-o-O-o-**

"Damn, what happened to you, Kiba?"

Ino gaped at the usually energetic boy as he lay limply back on the narrow bed. His bare chest was covered in dark, circular bruises, along with his muscled arms and stomach. A medic was patiently applying a thick cream to the injuries while his teammates stood next to the side.

"Hyuuga Neji, that's what."

Hinata lowered her head even more, wringing her hands in an agitated manner.

"Sor-sorry, Kiba-kun. I don't know why Neji nii-sama got so…so angry. I couldn't stop him."

Shino lifted a hand to adjust his sunglasses.

"Don't blame yourself, Hinata. It's not your fault."

"Damned straight!"

The outburst seemed to have knocked out what little wind was left in Kiba's lungs. He lay there obviously trying not to cringe before angrily muttering something about a crazy, unstable Neji deliberately coming up to him and Jyuukening him without warning.

Ino could only blink.

"You mean Neji just came and beat you up for no reason?"

A fierce scowl was directed at her.

"Hey, I could have won if he had offered me a fair fight! Bastard just flew over and started attacking me! Dunno who shoved the stick too far up his ass this morning."

Sakura's muffled giggle brought another fierce scowl. Ino glanced over at her friend in irritation as she leaned against the doorframe. It seemed as though more than one person shared her opinion of the Hyuuga but she'd be damned if she let anyone else mock him like that.

"You're just lucky Hinata was there to reopen your tenketsus right away. Or else you wouldn't have been able to move properly for the rest of the day. What did you do to piss Neji off so badly anyways?"

"How the hell should I know? Someone probably just screwed up his breakfast or he discovered that he really does look like a girl and couldn't take it anymore. All I know is that the next time I see him, I'm going to kick his ass so bad he won't be able to sit on it for a week! Ha! That'll be a good excuse to spread rumours that he's gay…"

A horrified whimper from Hinata had the Inuzuka flusteredly backtracking. It was clear that they weren't going to get any more information out of him for a while since he was obviously preoccupied with reassuring the other girl that he was just joking. Nodding to Shino as they quietly left the room, the two girls exchanged a look.

"So…any idea why Neji-kun's so steamed?"

Sakura's tone of voice was just too innocent to be true. Ino shrugged.

"No idea. I haven't talked to him in nearly two weeks."

Now it was Sakura's turn to gape.

"Two weeks? Are you serious? You guys are always together though!"

"You're exaggerating. Why would we always be together? I barely know him."

A firm hand on her arm had Ino stopping mid-stride. She allowed herself to be maneuvered into one of those hard chairs lining the faded green hospital walls.

"What's going on, Ino? Come on, it's me. You don't have to be strong."

Her friend's voice was gentle now, the sea-green eyes brimming with open concern. It had been a long time and many things had happened between them but underneath it all, they were still friends. The confusion and pain she had kept dammed up suddenly rushed over her in an unstoppable flood. Ino gripped the fabric of her skirt, leaning heavily against Sakura's shoulder.

"I…Sakura, I was there. I heard you two."

"There? Oh, Ino. You heard us in the bar that night?"

She nodded weakly, the moving forms of passing medics and visitors blurring slightly as her eyes filled once again with tears.

Gah, she was so sick of crying.

_I am so pathetic. Who would have thought Yamanaka Ino would end up as one of those rejected, sobbing losers? _

"I'm sorry, Ino. I didn't mean to pry. It's just that I thought it would be good to try and get him to face his feelings."

A wistful smirk touched her lips.

"What feelings? He's Hyuuga Neji, remember? He doesn't feel anything for anyone. Least of all, for someone like me."

"You know that's not true, Ino."

Sakura shifted, pushing her up so that she could stare into those lost blue eyes confidently.

"He cares about you. Even though he didn't say it, anyone can see that. Why else would he spend so much time with you? You're like the only female he willingly hangs out with outside of training."

"Stop it, Sakura. You were right there; you heard him. He doesn't feel the same way."

"No."

A hand tugged playfully on her blonde strands.

"I heard what he said. But I have eyes too. All of us can see the way his eyes light up when he sees you, the way he stands just a little bit closer to you than to other people. He's crazy about you; even Shikamaru mentioned it once. And you know how uninterested he is in other people's relationships."

_I thought the same thing too. But I can't … I won't set myself up like that again._

"You're delusional, Sakura. Just leave me alone. I'm fine, really."

"No, you're not!"

A frustrated whack on the wall left a hand-shaped dent in the plaster. Ino stared incredulously at that fearsome display of strength before inching away cautiously.

"Uh…"

"You have to trust your feelings, Ino! Because Neji-kun just doesn't know how to cope with his! It's up to you to get him to open up. Don't take no for an answer!"

Her eyes were blazing, her hair flying in blindingly pink display around her head. Ino moved further back, nearly falling out of her seat in the process.

"You know, maybe you've been spending too much time with Lee-san lately. That's probably not such a great idea…"

"Go and talk to him! Sitting here moping won't do you any good."

"Sakura, we've already talked. There's nothing to…"

The pink-haired kunoichi shook her head ruefully, her soft smile trembling slightly in understanding. She understood the pain and self-doubt all too well. That was why she didn't want Ino to have to suffer through the same thing.

"You can't give up, Ino. That's not like you. Besides, who else is going to take care of Neji-kun? Do you really want to just let him go like that? You want to leave him alone … again?"

The solemn words struck a chord deep within her.

Sakura was right.

_Everyone is searching for that rock, their calm in the eye of the storm. He might be mine, but I'm also his. _

Standing up, she threw back her shoulders, tossing her ponytail back confidently. Yamanaka Ino was back.

"Thanks, Sakura. I guess that big forehead of yours actually does hide a big brain."

Rolling her eyes, said forehead-girl merely stuck out her tongue, grinning at the sight of the old Ino.

"You'd better believe it, Ino-pig. Now get to it!"

Chuckling, Ino ran off, waving as she headed to the training field.

**-o-O-o-**

"Stop right there, Hyuuga Neji!"

The boy did not even bother to turn his head. He did, however, stop as she requested.

"What did you do to Kiba?"

Neji's expression was completely composed when he finally turned to face the seething blonde kunoichi as she stood glaring at him in the middle of the training field.

The field fell silent almost immediately as the loud question resounded around them. Tenten shot him a surprised glance, which he chose to ignore. Unlike _some_ people, his teammate knew better than to pick a fight with an angry Hyuuga.

"Nothing he didn't deserve."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Her brilliant eyes flashed dangerously, the words practically snarled out of her mouth in a manner not unlike the Inuzuka they were discussing. Ino closed the distance between them rapidly, heedless of the stares from the other shinobi.

"I think you know."

"How would you know what I'm thinking? Don't think you know everything, Neji. That Byakugan of yours can only read emotions, not minds."

Her taunting jab barely provoked a reaction out of him. He merely continued to stare at her, his arms folded loosely but entire body tensed as if ready for action.

"Why, Neji? Just answer me that! And don't give me any more of your complicated mumbo-jumbo!"

A pause.

"Because I felt like it."

Ino's jaw dropped.

_What kind of a person beats the shit out of someone else just because he feels like it? Isn't that illegal?_

Another voice in her head chimed up.

_Well, that person isn't Neji in any case. He never does anything without a real reason. _

Frowning, the girl took another step forward, close enough to smell the familiar scent of the woods and incense coming off of him. The headiness of it combined with the unwavering way he was gazing at her gave rise to the sudden urge to bury herself in his arms like she used to.

"Neji…"

His eyes widened minutely at her uncertain whisper. This time, it was him who took a step towards her, bringing him in close enough for her to feel the heat radiating from his lean body.

The desire grew stronger.

"Ino."

The field was still occupied by a couple of other teams, their training forgotten as all of them shamelessly watched the scene unfolding before them with bated breaths. It wasn't every day that one actually got to see Hyuuga Neji display any sort of emotion other than contempt or indifference.

A pale hand raised partially between their bodies, making as if to reach out for the other person. Blue was locked on white as each struggled with the jumble of thoughts running through their heads and the stubborn lock on their tongues that prevented them from just saying what they wanted.

They really were more alike than one would have supposed.

"Tell me why, Neji."

A warm breeze lifted the loose blonde strands in an airy dance around her flushed face. The spectators strained to hear her words; it was also rare to witness Yamanaka Ino speaking in any volume other than screeching level.

"Why what?"

"Why did you hit Kiba? Why…why am I even doing this?"

_Why don't you want me?_

Her eyes were pleading in a way she would never have done verbally. Neji inhaled sharply, his expression softening in a way he would never show but to her.

His head lowered imperceptibly as his gaze started to roam hungrily over her face. It had been lonely without her laughter, her chattering. Lonely in a way Neji had slowly come to realize he could no longer return to.

He didn't want to.

"Ino, I…"

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, MY LOVELY STUDENTS? WHY HAS EVERYONE STOPPED TRAINING? AHHH…I SEE! YOU MUST BE ENJOYING YOUR SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH!"

All heads simultaneously whipped around to witness the unceasingly disturbing sight of Gai clad in his usual skin-tight green bodysuit. To everyone's dismay, he jumped right in between the two main characters and clamped a fatherly arm around the Hyuuga's stiff shoulders. Forcibly dragging the boy towards the edge of the forest, the Jounin did not seem to notice his reluctance as he waved cheerfully back at Ino, all the while continuously ranting on and on about how happy he was that his students had finally followed his advice.

Tenten shot Ino a commiserating look as she hurried off after the two men, Lee having bounded ahead after giving the stunned girl a quick pat on the shoulder and a smile that was less maniac and more gentle than usual.

Everyone else resumed their training, the utter silence that had swept the field gradually rising into excited chatters as they quietly speculated on what they had seen. As for Ino, she stood stock still staring at the leaving figures, unable to comprehend exactly what had happened.

One minute she had been so sure that Neji was about to kiss her that her heart had literally threatened to burst out of her chest; the next, she was left there alone and confused as he left without so much as a parting word.

_Neji…_

-

* * *

**A/N: I'm not super pleased with this chapter cuz it seems a little disjointed so I'll probably come back and take a look at it later. Just wanted to get SOMETHING posted up while I'm actually sitting here writing or else I know I'm going to start procrastinating again. **

**So yeah, please do let me know how you feel and thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me

Just finished this 10 minutes ago and trying to get this posted so I can run off to watch 'House.' Must-see TV show!

-

* * *

Chapter 7

* * *

"We'll set up camp here."

The other two shinobi settled gratefully on the grass, wearily stretching out their sore limbs while their team leader staked out their camp ground.

"Neji, just relax. It's barely a day's journey back to Konoha and the mission went perfectly."

Tenten patted the bag next to her, reassuring herself that their hard-earned missive was still there. Miyaki, one of the newer chuunin, yawned beside her, rubbing the back of his neck in a gesture that seemed innate to the male species.

"That doesn't mean we can let down our guard, Tenten. You should know better by now."

Shrugging easily, she glanced around. The forest was relatively silent at dusk, the hazy sky just peeking out from above the thick canopy of trees. Neji had finally finished his examination and was now sitting on a rock a little apart from the other two. Her clear brown eyes came to rest on his lone form.

Her old teammate had been off for the past few weeks, colder and even sharper than before, throwing himself into training with a single-minded fervor that had even given Gai-sensei pause. Obviously, he and Ino were having some sort of argument or other; neither Lee nor herself had seen them together other than that brief, nerve-wracking moment a week ago on the training field.

Tenten had hoped that this mission would give Neji a chance to blow off some steam but apparently, the longer they stayed away from Konoha, the more frustrated he seemed to become. It was getting to the point that he was snapping almost constantly at both of them, the usual sheen of tightly-controlled indifference cracked and slipping.

"Oi, Tenten."

The quiet mutter to her right had the kunoichi shifting her gaze to the curly-haired boy sprawled out next to her.

"Yes?"

Miyaki tilted his head questioningly towards the older Jounin she had just been contemplating. The Hyuuga was now staring at nothing, his pale eyes watching for any signs of danger as usual but it was evident that he was lost inside his own mind.

Shaking her head in response, Tenten pulled out one of her beloved senbon to examine the specially lacerated tip.

"Miyaki-kun, can you pass me the wa…"

Her words were cut off by the familiar whizzing sound of a katana hurling through the air. It was pure instinct that had her rolling out of the way almost at the last second, the loud yell of 'Fuck!' alerting her to the fact that both her squad mates had leapt to their feet and assumed fighting poses.

Three more katanas spun out from high above them, one narrowly clipping the younger shinobi in the shoulder.

"Into the trees, now!"

Trusting the others to obey him, Neji threw himself bodily in the direction where the attack had come from. Activating his Byakugan automatically, he could make out three other figures darting to his left and right, fresh weapons already in hand.

Speeding up stealthily, he slipped behind one of them and slammed a chakra-loaded palm into the nin's neck. A choked gasp spluttered out of the attacker's mouth before he collapsed on the spot, his limp body crashing down towards the ground. Ignoring the sickening crunch and thump below him, Neji somersaulted back to see Tenten in a standoff with another nin, both sporting a kunai in either hand.

Obviously feeling his gaze, Tenten slammed her heel in her attacker's instep, efficiently slicing a long gash along his shoulder as he jerked to the side in pain.

"I'm fine, Neji! Go to Miyaki!"

Aware that her claim would hold true for at least the time being, Neji turned his attention to scan the forest. The flash of long, gleaming blonde hair caught the periphery of his gaze.

Neji froze momentarily before his arm automatically whipped out, flinging a kunai sharply to knock the one Miyaki had thrown off its deadly path as it hurtled towards the remaining nin. The metal clanged loudly before both weapons fell to the ground.

Startled green eyes met his from above the black cloth covering the rest of the nin's face.

_Green, not blue._

The split second of indecision was all that was needed. A keening bird call sounded from behind him, the nin Tenten was fighting obviously signaling to retreat, an order that was obeyed as swiftly as they had appeared.

Tenten made to go after them but a curt command had her halting.

"Leave them. Attend to all injuries and then we're leaving immediately."

Nodding, she leapt over to where they were situated, calmly starting to bind the ripped flesh oozing blood all over Miyaki's shirt. Crouching, Neji reached out to steady the faintly trembling arm when a hand roughly pushed him away.

"Save it, Hyuuga!"

The younger chuunin glared furiously at him before jumping to his feet, muttering his thanks to Tenten as she similarly stood up.

"You mind telling me what happened out there just now? Exactly _why_ did my squad leader save an enemy instead of fighting with his teammates? What sort of game are you playing here, Hyuuga?"

Rising slowly, Neji's face was completely blank, the only visible sign of irritation a faint crease in his brow.

"You forget yourself, Miyaki."

Unheeding of Tenten's placating murmurs, the other male brashly ignored the warning, riding high on confusion, pain and anger.

"I forget myself? _I _forget myself? That's a laugh! Do you even realize what you just did out there?"

"Do you realize you're completely out of line?"

"Oh yeah? Just what was so interesting about that nin that you chose to protect her? You're going to have to explain that to the Godaime when we get back anyways … oh wait, considering your recent behaviour, that's _if _we get back. So what was it, huh? Wanted to leave a survivor but somehow let her escape? Or, don't tell me, it was all that beautiful blonde hair…"

"That's enough!"

Chakra pumping tangibly in the raised veins around his famed eyes, Neji yanked the boy forward by his torn jacket. The other's mouth snapped shut, realizing a bit belatedly the trouble his runaway mouth had gotten him into.

Paper-white orbs drilled into his widening darker ones, the volatile Jounin inches from his face clearly swallowing the wave of temper threatening to explode. His voice came out low and flat.

"We're leaving now. No more questions."

Shoving the boy away, Neji shifted his stare to Tenten, whose lips pressed firmly together but as usual, offered up no disagreement. As the three of them made their way silently through the forest, the kunoichi's eyes were repeatedly drawn to the almost painfully tense figure leading the way.

_Oh, Neji. _

**-o-O-o-**

Scowling, Neji stalked out of the Hokage's Tower, his footsteps sounding crisply on the stone steps.

His mind was whirling, the long, drawn-out debriefing with the Godaime lasting well over an hour. Miyaki's indignation had calmed down somewhat during their hurried journey back, merely shooting confused glances at the Hyuuga as he gave his report. If his answers were slightly more clipped and brief than usual, Tsunade gave no indication of noticing. Nor did she comment when he explained that his actions regarding the nin in question had been because he had been distracted by what he thought was a familiar face.

"_I expect this not to happen again, Hyuuga."_

The Godaime had been strict but it was the knowing twinkle in her eyes that set his teeth on edge. Nodding his head curtly at a fellow Jounin, Neji made his way towards the training field. He really should have just returned to the Hyuuga complex; his body was screaming from fatigue and strain. But his temper was too close to boiling point for him to simply relax. It was as if the past few weeks had passed in a blur of nothingness, the various events and images melding together in a numbing coldness he had no defenses against.

"Hinata, watch your back!"

The faintly recognizable shout, along with a well-known chakra signature, had him turning. Opaque eyes narrowed instantly at the sight of his cousin and her teammates as they sparred on the grassy slope near the river. One bushy brown head in particular practically had the Hyuuga raising his hackles.

_Good. I need a workout. _

Advancing on the laughing threesome, Neji vaguely savoured the feeling of chakra throbbing through his veins, feeding the weeks of unsettledness into adrenaline.

"Neji nii-san…"

A soft gasp was all Hinata managed to get out before the older Hyuuga appeared in between her and Kiba, long hair barely finished swaying with his sudden movement before he launched himself forwards.

"What the hell?"

Spinning to his right, Kiba snarled, his own anger sparked by the prickling killing intent directed at him.

"Hey! Back off!"

Lips curling in a smirk, Neji merely dipped to crash his fist into the Inuzuka's stomach. A low grunt escaped the younger boy's lips, the force strong enough to send him stumbling into Shino as he stood behind him.

Steadying his cursing teammate, the Aburame watched as the other shinobi straightened, brushing off Hinata's stammering protests. It was obvious that Neji was quickly becoming unhinged, his pale skin tinged with an unhealthy pallor of utter restlessness and eyes flashing almost wildly.

Considering the fact that Neji's relationship with the Main Family had greatly improved lately, there was only one other thing that could have threw the Hyuuga into such a blind rage.

And Shino had a pretty good idea what it was. Or rather, _who_ it was.

Neji raised his arms, preparing to launch into a fresh attack when the tall boy raised a placating hand. His kikai buzzed loudly around him, rushing out of his body in dark droves, stirred into action by the furious wave of chakra nearby.

"He didn't do it."

All eyes turned to stare at him. One particular opaque pair narrowed in mocking disbelief and frustration, the owner taking a threatening step forward.

"You lie."

Hinata let out a muffled gasp at the harsh growl coming from her usually composed cousin. The only other time she had heard such pain was during the Chuunin exam years ago. When it was directed at her.

Kiba turned to look at her in concern but Shino kept his attention on the Hyuuga in front of him.

"No."

"Move."

"No."

"What are you two talking about, damnit? Can't you see you're scaring Hinata?"

Shino barely spared him a sideways glance.

"Tell him, Kiba."

Neji took another step towards them, his Byakugan lasered in on the boy crouched on the ground. Akamaru growled at him, barking fiercely in front of his owner.

"Tell him what? I don't even know what the fuck is going on!"

"Did you do something to Ino?"

At that, Neji lunged forwards with a sneer, only barely restrained by the thick swarm of kikai Shino sent at him. Hinata gasped again, turning shocked eyes on to her teammate.

"Ki-Kiba-kun?"

The boy spluttered, jumping on to his feet. His face was darkly flushed, the crimson markings on his cheeks almost hidden.

"Fuck, I didn't touch her! What…is that what this is about? All I did was crash at her house when I was stinking drunk! I was out cold the entire time!"

His hands waved wildly in the air before rising to run through the mess of brown hair in agitation. The Hyuuga stood stock still, glaring intensely at the other.

"You're lying."

"Hell, no! She kicked my ass out the door the minute I woke up, yelling at me about stinking up her house! That chick can be pretty scary, I tell you!"

The Byakugan searched his face, taking in every detail, every movement of his eyes before finally receding. The others slowly let out tightly held indrawn breaths as Neji calmed down, his hands lowering as he slid the usual cold expression back into place like a pre-prepared mask.

It was almost freakish.

"Stay away from her. Or I will break every bone in your body."

His voice was flat, the menacing threat inherent in his vow as clear as day. Grimacing, Kiba threw a reassuring arm around Hinata's shoulders, patting her awkwardly on the head as he hugged her to his side. He shot Shino a grateful look before muttering at the older shinobi, ruefully stretching out his sore body.

"Che. I don't take what belongs to someone else."

Neji frowned, aware of the other shinobi's anticipatory gazes as they waited uncertainly for him to reply. Turning to stalk away, he threw his answer quietly over his shoulder, the words ringing with a determined assurance that he himself was not quite sure he understood.

"Good. Because she belongs to me."

-

* * *

**A/N: OK, so there will probably only be one more chapter after this but I hope you've all enjoyed this fic so far cuz I've definitely had a blast writing it! Next update should be in a week or so and then I'll be starting that ShikaIno multi-chp fic I've been promising for so long. **


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me

So this is it, guys. The last chapter. I've had a great time writing this and I wanted to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone who has read this and especially to everyone who has taken the time to leave me some feedback and comments! It's so inspiring to see so many NejiIno fans out there and I'm just super happy that you've all enjoyed this. So kudos to all of you for being such an amazing bunch and hope you enjoy!

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* * *

**Chapter 8**

* * *

"Why did she lie to me?"

Sakura looked up in surprise, suppressing the urge to squeak at the formidable sight of the Hyuuga prodigy glaring down at her like she had somehow offended him.

"Ex-excuse me?"

The glare simply intensified. In fact, she could practically feel the chakra gathering around his eyes. Sakura bristled, her fierce nature growling at his apparent attempt to intimidate her.

"You're going to have to be a lot more specific if you expect an answer, Neji-kun. And you should probably sit down too, since it's giving me a pain in the neck from having to stare up at you like this."

His eyes narrowed at her commanding tone but he sat down anyways, too preoccupied with his situation to put up a fight.

"Why did she say she slept with that Inuzuka when she actually didn't?"

His voice was composed but betrayed just the hint of frustration. Sakura had to stifle a nervous giggle; irritating an already agitated Hyuuga Neji probably was not the smartest thing to do.

_But when are you ever going to get another chance to do it?_

"Ino, you mean?"

Inner Sakura crowed gleefully at the miffed sound that escaped his lips. He was just too easy of a target.

"Yes, of course I mean Ino. Who else is there?"

Sakura snorted daintily, idly twirling a pink lock around her finger. Taking pity on the obviously confused shinobi, she sighed.

_I guess genius prodigies really are as lost as regular guys when it comes to relationships. _

"It's because you're too kind, Neji-kun."

His eyebrows raised in skepticism. That was something he had never heard before.

"That doesn't make sense."

"I guess it doesn't, does it? But the thing is, halfway kindness only hurts a girl."

The look on his face clearly said he had no idea what she was talking about. Sakura smiled gently, taking the time to pop the last piece of chicken into her mouth. Green eyes watched him closely, cheerfully taking note of the carefully blank expression but also the tightening of his hand on the counter edge he was gripping unconsciously.

She wondered briefly if she should tell the boy that Ino had overheard their conversation the other night. But no, something like that would only embarrass her friend.

Sakura still wanted to know something though.

"Do you remember that night in the bar a while ago? When I asked you if you liked Ino … why didn't you answer me?"

Neji's lips thinned in an expression of displeasure. He seemed to be holding an inner battle whether or not to answer her even now. His tone was abrupt and short.

"Because it's none of your business."

"Is that all? That's the only reason?"

He sighed impatiently, releasing his death hold on countertop to tap the wood impatiently.

"Yes."

She continued to press him though, heedless of his warning glare.

"So you actually like her? Or is she someone you just use to make yourself feel good?"

The sharp slap of a hand slamming down on the table had her suppressing a flinch.

_Shit. _

"How dare you say that? Who do you think you are?"

"Ino's friend."

She met his eyes evenly, heaving an inner sigh of relief when he finally sat back down, albeit a bit more huffily than before.

"The only person you show that to is Ino, Neji-kun. How else do you expect her to take it?"

The Hyuuga stared at the opposite wall. The two of them sat in complete silence for a long while, the girl eating and waiting patiently as he mulled that over in his mind.

"I expect her to be happy."

Her eyes flickered over to scan his profile, somewhat startled that he had actually answered her. He didn't bother to turn to face her, although the faintly heightened colour in his cheeks clearly highlighted his discomfort discussing such a matter with her.

"She is the only one I show that to because she's the only one I care to make happy."

"I know."

Sakura smiled, propping her head up on her hand. Ino was a lucky girl.

"And you should let her know too."

Neji's head lowered, long dark hair gleaming in the sunlight that was filtering through the fluttering half-curtains. The corner of his lips curved up and Sakura's breath caught in her throat at the unforeseen play of emotions running unhindered across his gorgeous face.

Yes, Ino was a very lucky girl indeed.

"The two of you will be fighting all the time, you know. Ino's very strong-willed; there's no turning back if you do this."

He nodded, a wry smirk flitting across his face before it smoothed back into his usual serious expression.

"Hn."

"You don't mind? Constant bickering, Neji-kun. She'll be scaring away the birds inside the Hyuuga complex."

The boy stood.

"It's lonely without her voice."

Smiling broadly, Sakura shook her head. She turned back to her meal.

"You know Ino."

"… Yes, I do."

And with that, he was gone. The money lying on the table next to her plate was proof of his thanks.

Motioning for the bill, Sakura cheerfully handed the money over to the round-faced owner. It was nice to know that her nosiness could pay off, even if it was only a free meal once in a while.

_Hey, Ino. You really should name your first-born child after me._

**-o-O-o-**

"Let's call it a day, Ino."

Panting slightly as she flexed her hands, Ino nodded. Chouji had already finished his training, choosing instead to watch Shikamaru spar with Ino while he lounged around making his way through a bag of apples.

"Yeah, thanks, Shika. I'm beat anyways."

"Maa, I told you not to…"

"Ino."

A familiar chakra signature had her whirling around. A tall figure stood leaning against a towering oak on the edge of the forest, his pale eyes fixed steadily on her as the setting sun threw his face into shadows.

"I need to talk to you."

Ino sighed wearily, twirling a kunai between her fingers before tossing it abruptly at the dummy set up in front of them. It landed squarely in the throat, the sharpened metal piercing the wood with a dull plunk.

"There's nothing to talk about."

Neji detached himself from the tree, crossing smoothly over to the wood and pulling the weapon out. Stopping several feet away from her, he flicked it towards her, which she easily caught.

"Ino."

The blonde kunoichi pocketed the kunai, carefully keeping her eyes emotionless. She bit her lip, searching that beautiful face for something. She nodded slowly.

"Oi, Ino."

Her teammates hovered next to her, plainly uneasy about leaving her there alone. Shikamaru in particular eyed the Hyuuga lazily, his dark eyes sharper than usual.

"You want us to hang around for a while? We were planning on going to supper anyways; Chouji wants to try out that new hotpot place next to the corner fruit stall."

"It's okay. You guys go ahead; I'll be fine."

Ino smiled up at him, fondly brushing away a smudge of dirt from his vest. It was rare, and yet not unexpected, to see Shikamaru openly display his concern for her. She gave him a playful shove when he exchanged another look with Chouji, who had even stopped chewing to stare apprehensively at Neji.

"Come on! I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself. I'll see you guys tomorrow at training, okay?"

Shikamaru nodded, taking the time to shoot the Hyuuga what was clearly a warning glance before turning and walking back towards the village with Chouji by his side.

Silence fell as their footsteps faded, the cooling air broken only the occasional cricket chirping. Ino busied herself with re-wrapping the ripped bandages on her forearms, struggling a bit as she tried to do it with one hand. Shikamaru was usually around to do it for her.

Large hands took the roll of fabric from her. She looked up to see him step closer, one hand gently holding her arm steady as the other wrapped the bandages with practiced ease. His head was lowered as he focused on the task, the loose ties of his hiatae dangling freely.

_To think that that's how this all started._

"I'm sorry."

Ino blinked. His hold on her arm tightened minutely when she instinctively tried to pull away in confusion. Pale eyes lifted to meet hers briefly before dropping again to finish tying the bandages in place. He handed the fabric roll back but did not release her.

"Neji?"

"I shouldn't have said those things to you."

He was watching her again, his gaze speculative and carefully shuttered. Despite herself, Ino smiled slightly.

"No, you shouldn't have."

Neji nodded, inclining his head in acceptance of her soft reprimand. His hand shifted to graze over the soft flesh of her inner wrist. Her indrawn breath sounded sharply between them.

"What are you doing?"

"You should apologize too."

She frowned.

"Why should I?"

"For lying about Inuzuka Kiba."

His tone hardened but his hold on her remained gentle. Ino flushed, resisting the urge to shake him off. So he knew. They would have to deal with this sooner or later.

"I never actually lied, Neji. I said I spent the night with him; I never said that it was in _that_ way."

He gave her arm a small shake, clearly unwilling to let her off so easily.

"No. You knew what I was thinking and you let me think that."

"I could say the same thing about you, Hyuuga Neji!"

A pause.

He nodded again, his eyes softening like they had before. Ino swallowed, unsure what to say. She had not expected him to agree, wondering hazily if he really knew what she was talking about.

"You know?"

It was merely a whisper but he caught it anyways. He made no answer, his hand slipping further instead until it was clasping her own. Ino stiffened, glaring at him now.

"What are you doing?"

"Holding your hand."

His voice was mildly amused. Ino, however, was not.

Yanking her hand away, she turned to leave.

"Yeah, well, stop it! I don't like it."

"But I do."

Halting at the low murmur, the girl clenched her fists, willing herself to not turn back around.

"What?"

A light brush on the crook of her elbow sent a heated tingle running down her spine. Ino pulled her arm away, only to feel his heat radiating against her back as Neji stepped closer. He drew in a breath, obviously composing himself as he bent to speak quietly into her ear.

"I said I would break the rules for you once. That hasn't changed. I'd break every rule if I had to. Turns out you are a bad influence on me."

His words were consciously even but tinged with an unfamiliar nervousness.

"Need you, Yamanaka Ino."

Ino let out the breath she had been holding in. A small smile crept on to her face and she bit her lip, feeling the heat flush her cheeks. The loss of warmth signaled his step back from her, his inbred emotional shields snapping up in preparation for possible rejection.

"Ino?"

She grinned as the poorly disguised anxiety in his voice increased. It was tempting to let him suffer a bit. Too tempting.

_Give the guy a break! Admit it - you're impressed that a Hyuuga can even talk as much about his feelings like he just did. _

Shaking her head ruefully at her own weakness, Ino spun around to fix her brilliant blue eyes on his. If the sparkle in them was just the slightest bit watery, neither of them commented on it.

"That was so corny, Neji! I'd never have expected something like that from you…from Lee-san, maybe. Sure you're not going to end up in one of those spandex bodysuits? I won't have you if you do."

Her teasing pout elicited a corresponding smirk on his face, his relief evident in the way the tensed muscles in his shoulders relaxed immediately. Neji reached out for her, tracing calloused fingers hesitatingly down her smooth cheek before curling around the nape of her neck to pull her tightly against him. His other hand stroked her back in long, sweeping caresses, melding her body into his own.

"No bodysuits."

She rested her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her nose into his neck. Ino smiled against his skin at the way he shuddered. His lips brushed lightly across the sensitive patch of skin behind her ear as he buried his face in her hair.

"Good. You're just lucky I happen to like corny."

"Hn."

They stood enfolded in each other's arms wordlessly, content to relish the start of something that had begun long ago. The first stars twinkled shyly in the darkened sky, winking as a cool breeze lifted loose leaves in a dancing swirl around their feet.

"You didn't have to beat up Kiba like that, you know."

Ino could feel him stiffening momentarily and she ran her fingers down his arm in reassurance.

"Next time, leave him in the road or get one of his teammates. You shouldn't bring other guys into your house."

"Are you ordering me, Hyuuga Neji?"

His arms tightened possessively. Ino accepted the soft kiss pressed lingeringly against her temple as the apology it was meant to be, her heart speeding up at the unexpected display of affection.

"Jealous?"

She could practically hear him sulking, or at least as much as the Hyuuga would show.

"No."

The self-satisfied tone in his voice made her pause.

"Oh? What else do you call it, then?"

"Told you. I felt like it."

_Right._

"So you weren't the tiniest bit angry when you thought I'd slept with Kiba?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. You didn't. And you won't be doing that with anyone other than me."

The last words were murmured huskily into her ear. Ignoring the pleasing shiver prickling her skin, Ino huffed indignantly, pulling back to glare up at him.

"How would you know that? A bit egotistic, aren't we?"

Neji smirked down at her, leaning down close enough so that all she could see was white.

"Your eyes see only me."

Her retort was swallowed by his mouth as he hungrily swept his tongue over her lower lip. She willingly opened to him, nipping just hard enough to let him know that he shouldn't expect her to back down like that every time.

Breaking off the kiss, Ino giggled against his lips, beaming mischievously in response to his questioning sound.

"I wonder what Gai-sensei and Lee-san will say when I tell them about your _inspiring_ confession? Feel like you're bursting with your passion of youth yet, Neji-kun?"

His openly horrified expression was accompanied by her burst of laughter.

"You wouldn't…"

-

_The End._

-

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**A/N: Yeps, I'm going to get started on my ShikaIno fic but I'll definitely keep the door open for more NejiIno in the future. He's just too cute to not scurry back to in adoration. And, like I've told some reviewers, I've recently become very fond of Kiba (blame it on the latest episode of Naruto) so there might be some Kiba one-shots coming up as well.**

**Hope you'll all still come back to check out my work and thanks again for all your support!**


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